Randy Agley

1942 - 2018

Randy Agley

- - Not surprisingly, and as he predicted, Randy Agley's life ended with a bang! (A massive stroke took him peacefully on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, in the company of his loving wife, Judy.) Randy always said he'd cross the finish line of life with his race car dented & scratched, barely held together by chicken wire, and with 2 tires blown. But there was no question who was finishing first and having fun along the way! Randy's career "wins" included a happy marriage & family, owning more than 40 companies and serving his community & country as a civic, political and philanthropic leader.

Born Randolph James Agliata (not Agley) in Brooklyn, New York on December 2, 1942, Randy had a humble but happy childhood. He was the only child of James & Mildred Agliata, and though their doting love certainly spoiled him, it also convinced him he could do anything. This was reinforced by his Italian immigrant grandmother who was ever by his side and his 5 uncles who let him join their weekly poker game at an early age. He won his fair share of those pots and also the fights with thugs in his tough neighborhood. These formative years forged his indomitable self-confidence, street-smart scrappiness, and "all-in" gambler's spirit that steered the rest of his life.

In 1954, Randy and his parents moved to Sturgis, Michigan when his father became Plant Manager of Transogram, a local toy factory. At that time the family changed their surname to a more pronounceable "Agley", and Randy joined the Sturgis High School football team and band. He wasn't very good at either (though he'd tell you otherwise), but it was there in his Senior year that he fatefully met his wife-to-be, Judy Benson. Star-crossed lovers from the start (she was 1st chair clarinet, he was 2nd-to-last chair trumpet!), their attraction and love were immediate and everlasting.

In 1960, Randy enrolled at the University of Michigan. Smart and driven, Randy completed his undergraduate and MBA degrees in just 5 years. Despite this fast pace, he found time to join the Theta Chi fraternity and also created his first few businesses. The first was a small-time operation selling beer to his frat brothers from a repurposed Coke vending machine. For his second venture, he tried to leverage his own laundry duties into a contract for the university's entire commercial washing service. Neither ultimately worked, but he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and had the fever to do more.

In 1965, Randy married his high school sweetheart Judy and joined the Detroit office of accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co. For one of his first assignments, he went to the Corn Islands off the coast of Nicaragua to audit a shrimp operation. In typical Randy fashion, it turned into quite an adventure in which he was shot at by Sandinista rebels, stranded for 2 weeks and then smuggled out of the country by the head of his firm. This was the first of many remarkable stories where he survived unscathed, accumulating great memories and lifelong friends along the way.

In 1970, one of those friends, Don Siegel, convinced him to return to his entrepreneurial roots. Together they bought his first company, Mechanics Tool Supply in metro Detroit. The venture taught him much, laid a foundation for his future success, and whet his appetite for more.

In 1973, Randy left to become President of S&G National Investments, Inc. and lead their M&A efforts to build a group of private companies. On September 4, 1982, faced with a withering recession, his older partners (Harold Stern, Melvin Garb & Lewis Imerman) decided to retire and sell their interests. As usual, Randy was game but couldn't afford the ante. So he turned to his good friend and confidant, Michael T. Timmis to partner with him. This was a stroke of genius as the two men's talents and personalities were very different but complementary. Together they formed Talon Inc, a private equity firm that went on to have great success. Their businesses were too many to list, but some of their more notable companies included F&M Distributors, Talon Automotive Group, Meyn International, Talon Development Group and the Allen-Stevens Group. In total, Talon operated over 40 companies worldwide with thousands of employees and over $1 billion in revenue.

Never one to squander an opportunity, Randy was quick to parlay his winnings into something more. Ever the patriot, he felt duty-bound to give back to our country and the political system on which his success was built. He served as the Michigan Republican Party Finance Chairman in 1988 and 1992, and was appointed to the Michigan Strategic Fund by Governor John Engler and also to the Saint Lawrence Seaway advisory board by President Ronald Reagan.

Randy was also committed to his community and served on innumerable boards, including the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, the Arts Foundation of Michigan, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Michigan Cancer Foundation, Walsh College, Detroit Renaissance, the Economic Club of Detroit, the Michigan State Chamber of Commerce and the Young Presidents' Organization.

But don't let those laudatory roles of service fool you, Randy was always having fun and his success afforded him the time to enjoy his family and friends like few could. His Christmas and Detroit Grand Prix parties in the 1980's and 1990's were epic. Though not a boater, he owned several through the years, simply so he could host his dear friends, travel the world and create memories together. He seems to be laughing or smiling in every picture we have!

He is survived by his beloved wife Judy, sons Jim (Rosario) and Joe; 5 grandchildren that were his pride and joy: Cyril (Emily), Drew, Cate, Scott and Smith; and 3 great-granddaughters he was just getting to know: Grace, Emersyn and Hazel.

Friends and family are welcome to join in celebrating his life 11:00 a.m. Friday, November 16, 2018 at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church in Detroit. Visitation begins at 9:30 a.m.

Condolences, stories and photos can be shared by emailing them to RAgley@Talon.us. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Randolph J. Agley Graduate Scholarship Fund he established at the University of Michigan in 1989. Do so by visiting https://victo.rs/2z40L3p

To everyone that knew him, thank you for being a part of his life. It was rich with love, friendship, purpose and adventure!