Randy E. Ackley

1945 - 2020

Randy E. Ackley
September 26, 1945 – July 7, 2020
Randy Ackley of McCall, Idaho passed away suddenly of heart failure on Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at the young age of 74. Randy grew up in South Boise, and spoke often of his idyllic childhood. He graduated from Boise High School in 1963, attended and played basketball at Boise Junior College and Idaho State University, and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Education at Boise State College. He started his teaching career at South Jr. High, and transferred to East Jr. High, his alma mater. He would spend the next 31 years teaching PE, and coaching boys and girls basketball there, winning seven boys basketball championships in 11 seasons. He loved recalling one special team that went 13-0 and that never lost a game during their three years at East. For 20 summers, Randy also managed Boise's Natatorium swimming pool. He retired from teaching in 2000, but remembered the names of all of his students, players and lifeguards, tracking their accomplishments until the day he died.
Randy excelled in every sport he played. He set the Idaho state record for the high jump – soaring 6 feet 4 inches, which placed him in the top 15 high school jumpers in the country, and earned him the nickname "6-4" from his buddies. In basketball, Randy made All-Team Conference in high school and set the scoring record at Boise Junior College in 1963/1964. His image is still displayed at Boise State University's Stueckle Sky Center as his record can never be broken. He was inducted into the first class of the Idaho High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. He played recreational "Outlaw Basketball" in Boise until he was 44.
Randy was an avid pheasant hunter, loved going to Les Bois track to bet the ponies, and enjoyed meeting up with friends at McCall's Yacht Club each Friday to talk about the upcoming college games. His grandkids learned to play golf with Poppy at their side-always letting them drive the cart, and never saying a word about those many scary rides going too fast down the hill and over the little wooden bridge.
Randy was the second son of five children of Meredith and Dorothy Ackley, preceded in death by his parents. He reconnected with and was married for 31 years to his East Jr. High sweetheart, Ginny Johns Ackley, and spent many happy years in McCall. He is survived by Ginny; son Kell and his wife Jodie Ackley, and daughter Shannon and her husband Gary Orr with his former spouse Sally Hoffman (Mautz); daughter Shannon and her husband Bob Sweet, son John and his wife Laura Mock, and daughter Bridget Alexander; siblings Meredith (Fred) and his wife Marilyn Ackley, John Ackley, Molly and her husband Jimmy Brown, and Mary Mais. He will be dearly missed by his grandchildren Sam, Nick, and Clara Sweet; Alex and Michael Mock; Tanner and Vance Ackley; Paige Hall, David and Andrew Orr; and nephews Rob Ackley, Jeff and Joey Swope, and niece Amy Wilson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Randy's memory to St. Luke's McCall Foundation (stlukesonline.org/about-st-lukes/donate-or-volunteer/mccall-foundation or by mail at 1000 State St., Boise, ID 83638) or your favorite charity. No service will be held, at Randy's request. Rest Peacefully, sweetie.