It is with a heavy heart that we are sharing about the passing of our beloved educator, Ms. Rande.  She unexpectedly passed away earlier this week surrounded by her family. Her death has left a hole in our hearts and an especially deep void in our southern Oregon schools in Grants Pass and Medford. 

Rande was an extremely valued team member for several years.  She was truly dedicated to her craft – teaching and always inspiring the next generation of cosmetologists. Rande lived our mission, vision and values – constantly finding ways to elevate every student’s self-confidence and thirst for knowledge.

Many of you reading this now were students of Rande’s and had the privilege of being educated under her wing.  You know that she motivated her students like no other, inspiring them to reach beyond their fears and truly develop a growth mindset to reach their goals.  Her passion to see her students graduate and succeed was visible in everything she did. 

She deeply cared about their education and you would often find her helping them talk through difficult personal challenges – mentoring them and showing them that with grit and determination they could accomplish anything.  Simply put, Rande encompassed all of the attributes of an impactful educator – creating a culture of educational excellence wherever she went.

As a team member, Rande was everything you could ask for – she was extremely supportive, energizing, dependable and always did what she could to help her fellow team members through personal and professional struggles.  She had the best heart.  Her love was fierce and strong.  She was also beyond loyal and always found a way to go the extra mile to help in any capacity should could, especially in times of great need.

One of her most loved qualities was the fact that she was so incredibly nurturing to those lucky enough to come into contact with her. Encouraging so many people through difficult times, listening with great attention and gave darn right amazing advice to those smart enough to listen. 

Many may not know this, but Rande also loved being a prankster to her team.  She did all sorts of things to keep her team on their toes, like making things magically disappear before a class started or take selfies on their phones when they weren’t looking. We are forever blessed with so many happy memories – knowing that these will help us through this time.

As you can see, knowing Rande was knowing passion, courage, resilience, empathy, joy, authenticity and strength.  She was so strong in mind and body.  Standing next to her was like being grounded in a way that made you feel safe, seen and meaningful all at once. 

Rande’s positive and uplifting spirit will be missed beyond measure. She will always be a core part of our Phagans’ family.  We are truly grateful we were gifted with her presence in our lives. 

We love you Rande! Thank you for everything you gifted us.  All our love, your Phagans’ family
~April 22, 2023