Obituary published on Legacy.com by Santa Cruz Watsonville Cremation & Burial Service on Feb. 19, 2026.
Dennis L Randall Jr. passed peacefully at home in
Aptos, CA on Wednesday January 14th, after being diagnosed with cancer in December of 2023, which he battled courageously and trusted God's plan for his life.
Dennis was born on April 1, 1964, to his parents Dennis Lynn Randall and Carolyn Anne Luck Randall at John Gaston Hospital, in Memphis TN, where his father was a resident. His first 8 years were in Nashville while his father served with the Marine Corps and Naval Reserves Medical Corps. The family then moved to
Tustin, CA where Dennis Sr. completed his residency at UC Irvine. Dennis and his younger siblings, Gregory and Kristen, spent their childhood growing up in Tustin. Dennis attended Foothill High School and played on their CIF championship football team. Dennis attended Orange Coast College for 2 years before he transferred to the University of Southern California, graduating with a BA in Political Science. He was affiliated with the Alpha Upsilon chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
In 1987, he began his 40-year career in commercial real estate specializing in property management, marketing and development. He worked for the Paragon Group, Cushman & Wakefield, Prometheus Development and Opus Group. He founded Insight Development Partners in June of 2004 to take advantage of real estate opportunities in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. He was also part of Insight Realty Co., Acquity Realty and Acquity Capital Group in recent years. He served for many years on the San Jose Downtown Association and was a founding member of the Downtown Committee for the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. Dennis was also a member of numerous feedback and selection committees for both the City of San Jose and the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. He was known to be a fierce negotiator with a brilliant, creative mind for land use and development opportunities. He loved his chosen field driven by his love and protection of his family. He was a generous man of integrity and loyalty in all things.
Dennis married "smokin' hot" Brooke Manchee Randall in August of 1993 in Pasadena, CA. They loved and supported each other through thick and thin. They led an adventurous life, moving often over their 32-year marriage, raising their children, Pearson and Portia, in
Los Gatos, CA. Dennis was baptized into the Catholic faith in 2002 at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Los Gatos. Their St. Mary's community has been central to their lives ever since. He was always most proud of being a father and husband.
Dennis was beloved for his irreverent humor, intelligence, passion for his faith and political dialogue. Dennis loved skiing, golfing, fly fishing, Trojan football (Fight On!!) and travel. His final overseas trip was to Lourdes, France, seeking healing from our Lady of Lourdes. Wine tasting was a favorite pastime, with weekend trips to Sonoma and Napa in the 1990's; his favorite appellation was the Santa Cruz Mountains after moving to Aptos in 2020. He loved life on the Northern California coast, where he enjoyed beach walks with Figgy, the beloved family corgi…the only dog he ever had.
Dennis is survived by his wife Brooke; son Pearson of San Jose, CA; daughter Portia of Brooklyn, NY; brother Gregory of Murrieta, CA; and sister Kristen Berens (Shawn) of Indianapolis, IN. Dennis was godfather and "Uncle Awesome" to his nephews Jackson and William Berens.
A memorial mass celebrating Dennis' life will be at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, 219 Bean Ave, Los Gatos on March 6, 2026 at 3pm. A private reception will be held following. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Order of Malta, Western Association, USA. https://orderofmaltawestern.us/donate/