Randy ""Big R"" Short

Ralph Hemperley Short, Junior, better known as Randy Short or just ""Big R"" passed away peacefully on December 5, 2019 in Denver, Colorado from heart complications. Randy's life was guided by ""make it happen"" and unconditional love for family and friends that will shine through them forever. People who knew Randy loved him for his charm, wit, and infectious spirit.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 16, 1949, Randy was the first child of Ralph and Lauretta Short. He often lovingly joked that his life was ""absolutely perfect for 2 years, 6 months, and 1 day"" until his only sibling Carol was born. Randy attended primary school at Myers Park Elementary and Alexander Graham Middle. He attended high school at Myers Park where he was active in the student council and quarterbacked the Mustang football team. During his junior year, Randy made local headlines in a game against arch-rival Garringer at Memorial Stadium when he came off the bench with 12 seconds left to throw the game-winning 4th down 28 yard touchdown pass to African-American Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick during desegregation. The leadership and composure under great odds would guide him the rest of his life. (See article: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/special-reports/myers-park/article9087014.html)

Randy earned a football scholarship to Duke University where he played for two years and graduated in 1971. He married his high school sweetheart Margaret after their Junior year, and the couple moved home to Charlotte where their children Brandon and Kevin were born in 1973 and 1975 respectively. Randy served in the National Guard from 1971-1973.

His long career in the furniture industry began at age 14 folding furniture pads on the back of a truck at Mecklenburg Furniture, his grandfather's retail furniture store in Charlotte. After college, Randy worked at the store with his father and grandfather for several years before becoming a manufacturer's sales representative. In 1978, he and his family moved to Suffield, Connecticut, and again in 1980 to Columbia, South Carolina with Southwood Reproductions and Councill Craftsmen. In 1984, he was promoted to Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Southwood and relocated to Hickory, North Carolina.

In 1992, Randy and his business partner Roger Turbyfill founded Stanford Furniture. Named for the street in Charlotte where Randy's grandfather lived, Stanford pioneered the manufacturing of high quality, bench-made furniture in half the time other manufacturers could produce. They enjoyed great success together until Roger's retirement when Randy became the primary stakeholder of the company. For the next decade, he creatively and tenaciously led the company through the Great Recession when many other companies failed.

Randy's mantra at Stanford was ""make it happen"" and he was known for going above and beyond to develop deep and enduring friendships with his customers. Whether that meant personally delivering a sofa up three flights of stairs, cooking steaks for every person at the factory, or organizing an impromptu prayer at the High Point showroom with hundreds of industry friends.

Just weeks before his death in November 2019, Randy sold Stanford to Gabriella White, ensuring that the company he built through tremendous effort, heart, and soul would continue to bring comfort and quality into homes well into the future.

Randy met his second wife Jennifer when she came to work for Stanford as a rep in Colorado. They married in 2002 and maintained rich lives in both Colorado and North Carolina. In September of 2018, Jennifer suffered a terrible accident in California that left her with a severe brain injury. Randy relocated to Denver, dedicated his life to her healing, and never left her side through her miraculous and inspirational recovery.

Randy was pre-deceased by his parents Ralph and Lauretta Short of Charlotte, NC. He is survived by his wife Jennifer Jensen, daughter Brandon Blell (Beni), son Kevin Short (Libby), sister Carol Pearsall (Richard), grandchildren Thatcher Short, Dorian Blell, and Liliana Blell, step-sons Jensen (Cassandra) and Jordan Meier (Allison), nephews Tucker (Jennifer) and Travis Pearsall (Cara), and many, many dear friends who will deeply miss his kind heart and infectious charisma.

Two services will be held to honor Randy ""Big R"" Short's life: Thursday, December 12th, 2019 from 7-9pm at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and Friday, January 17th at 4:00 pm at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado. A scholarship is also being established in his name at the Furniture Academy at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, North Carolina so that his dedication to the craft can live on through future generations.

Please leave a comment as condolence for his family below.

Service: December 12, 2019 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

St Luke's Methodist Church
8817 S. Broadway
Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129

Service: January 17, 2020 4:00 pm

Myers Park Baptist Church
1900 Queens Rd,
Charlotte, NC 28207
(704) 334-7232
https://www.myersparkbaptist.org/