Photo courtesy of Loretto Memorial Chapel - LORETTO
Aug 2, 1950 - Mar 10, 2025
Dr. Cross had a great impact during my college career when I took his American Literature 2 class during my sophomore year. He always reminded me “it’s good to know stuff about things” and that lesson has resonated with me ever since taking his class.
Will Hughes
July 01, 2025 | Jacksonville, AL | Teacher
For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while. It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right. I hope you had the time of your life. RIP, my friend. Mitch
Mitch Summerlin
April 24, 2025 | Decatur, AL | Friend
I had the immense pleasure to serve with Randy in the Tennessee Army National Guard. We enjoyed great times together in serving and working on many projects as a team. Randy will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Truly he was a unique person. Condolences to Ms Kim and all his family.
Steve Combs
March 24, 2025 | Friend
Mr. Cross was my junior English teacher at Loretto High in his earliest years as a teacher. He is one of the people who fueled my love of literature and influenced my becoming a teacher. I particularly loved when he brought his guitar to class, sat on his desk, and sang to us. I'm so sorry to hear of his passing.
Donna Mashburn Geise
March 20, 2025 | Huntsville, AL | Friend
Just now found out about Randy. We had many great years serving together on the staff at TMA in the TNARNG. So enjoyed his stories and life experiences. As a fellow Lawrence County native, I could relate. Kim, we all who wore the uniform with Randy had the greatest respect for who he was as a person even though he knew nothing about sports and couldn’t add two numbers together. Love you and family and wish I could have been there at this time.
Gerald Smith
March 20, 2025 | Knoxville, TN | Military
Remembered By
Gerald Smith
March 20, 2025 | Knoxxville, TN | Military
Dr. Cross was my professor at Calhoun in American Literature. I never use these words, but this man set the context and tone of how I would live my life for the rest of my time on earth. He read the Nobel Prize Speech of William Faulkner at Oslo to us from the old blue book in 1986. Since then, I have read it again and have it framed everywhere I teach to share with my students. Faulkner said that for writers of no substance, "Their griefs grieve on no universal bones." When Dr. Cross read...
Duane Terry
March 20, 2025 | Huntsville, AL | Student
Randy and I were next door neighbors on Oak Street for a number of years. We talked over the fence many afternoons. Randy was a welcome break after work. He would relate many stories of his time in the military and his adventures in the classroom. Randy was the neighbor anyone would love to have.
Tom Maynot
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Tom Maynot
March 16, 2025 | Decatur, AL | Neighbor
Randy was a very nice man and neighbor. Kim, you are in our prayers.
Howard & Gale Charnell
March 16, 2025 | Decatur, AL | Neighbor
Randy’s Obituary Randy Keith Cross, 74, passed away peacefully at his home in Decatur on Monday, March 10, surrounded by family and friends. Randy was preceded in death by his parents, Johnny and Marie Cross, sister Deanna Seay, and brother-in-law Jimmy Seay, nephew Jonathan Seay, and great-nephew Zacharie Nielsen. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Kim; son Alex Sims (Jessica) and grandson Gavin; sister Vicki Nielsen (Norris); brother-in-law Richard Sims, and a host of beloved nieces and nephews. Born August 2, 1950, in St. Joseph, TN, Randy graduated from Loretto High School. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Alabama, he was awarded a Ph.D. in English from Ole Miss in 1977. Distinguished for his scholarly work on Mark Twain and Tennessee author T. S. Stribling, Randy came to Calhoun Community College in 1982. There, for almost 40 years, he excelled in the classroom, charming and entertaining countless students even as he inspired them to love learning and work to meet his high performance standards. Twice during his tenure at Calhoun Randy was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, once to Brazil in 1988-1989 and again to Portugal. Randy’s colleagues knew him as a loyal friend and a witty and mischievous companion over lunch or at a professional conference. He was an endless teller of funny stories. Never happier than when he was performing, Randy took his stories on the road, providing entertainment and badly needed comic relief at professional meetings for doctors, linguists, sociologists, machinists, and cookware makers. He reached a longstanding goal last year when he published a book of personal essays, Through Old Ground. Randy served in the Tennessee Army National Guard, retiring in 2001 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was a devoted member of the Beltline Church of Christ. A funeral will be held at Southside Church of Christ in St. Joseph, Tennessee on Friday, March 14. Visitation 11 – 1 with service to follow. There will also be a celebration of life at Calhoun Community College on March 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Alabama Center for the Arts, 133 2nd Avenue N.E, Performing Arts Building 2, Decatur, Alabama. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dr. Randy Cross Memorial Scholarship at Calhoun Community College. http://weblink.donorperfect.com/DrRandyCross
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