Randy W. King

Randy Wynn King, known affectionally as "Nappy" to most, was called to be with his heavenly parents on Wednesday, August 20th, 2025. His final days were spent peacefully with his wife, JoAnne King; children, Heather Milton (Jacob) and Justin King (Caroline); and twin grandchildren, Matthew Wynn and Madelyn Faith Milton. Randy was a West Virginia native, born to Otha Lee and Evolene King. He is preceded in death by his sister, Judy Henderson (Charles).
Randy was a graduate of Northside High School, class of 1972. During his time as a Viking, he participated on the golf team all four years as one of the top players. Throughout his senior season, he would often jokingly tip one of his freshmen teammates with a carton of cigarettes each time he caddied for Nappy. He also had the distinct honor of being voted as "Best Dressed" at NHS multiple years, which we can attribute to sweet Evolene choosing his outfits until graduation day. Randy started his journey at The Roanoke Times during high school as a copyboy and delivering newspapers.
Randy attended Radford University where he majored in journalism. If you were to ask Nappy, one of his biggest accomplishments was his ability to finagle his way out of his one and only 8:00 AM course. On the first day of class, the professor proposed that any student who had proof of published work would automatically receive an 'A' for the semester and no longer be required to attend. On the second day of class, Nappy proudly presented that morning's newspaper showing an article with his byline. The professor quickly tipped his hat to Randy and with a wry smile, Nappy exited the class for good.
Shortly after graduating from Radford University, Nappy's career afforded him the opportunity to meet and interview some of the biggest names in sports history, including Dale Earnhardt Sr. (NASCAR), Greg "The Shark" Norman (PGA), and Brett Favre (NFL). In the 1980s, during NASCAR's heyday, Randy spent most, if not all, of his time capitalizing on his quick wit and ability to draw entertaining stories out of even the most hardened, veteran drivers. Even "The Intimidator" himself, the late great Dale Earnhardt Sr., could not resist the jocular charm of the boy from Southwest Virginia, inviting him into his trailer for a rare one-on-one interview. One particular Daytona 500 ended abruptly for Nappy when he was jettisoned on a helicopter to fly home for the birth of his first child. It was only once he arrived at the hospital that he realized his wallet and keys were still in his hotel room. This added to the tears he wept when he was told "It's a girl" when all he wanted was a boy.
In the mid-1990s, Randy transitioned to covering the Virginia Tech football team. Coincidentally, Tech football peaked during Nappy's time on the Hokie beat. Randy made headlines during a trip to the National Championship in 2000 when Hokies' star, Corey Moore, went on an expletive-laced tirade against the media. Mid-rant, Moore suddenly stopped to acknowledge Nappy's presence, "How you doing, Randy?!" Nappy chuckled in response with "Hey man, what's up?!" and the rest of the media were left with mouths agape. Randy would continue to build unique relationships with all the coaches and players throughout his time on the Hokie beat. He and legendary coach, Frank Beamer, had a particularly comedic encounter when Nappy once placed a lollipop on the Hall of Fame coach's chair prior to the start of the day's press conference. The previous game for the Hokies had involved a bizarre instance where coaches on the Tech sideline had noticed the Syracuse holder manipulating what turned out to be the leftover stem of a butterscotch Dum Dum while lining up a eld goal for his kicker. Coaches went ballistic on the sideline, and Defensive Coordinator, Bud Foster, even went onto the field to retrieve the stem for officials to see, but the Hokies were left with nothing but frustration and a 22-14 loss. Upon arriving at the presser and seeing the intact lollipop sitting in his chair, Coach Beamer smiled and immediately identified Nappy as the culprit, and the whole room began to guffaw. That's just how Randy operated: he won you over with humor, and he kept you engaged with authenticity, sincerity, and trust.
In 2018, Randy was inducted into the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame, an honor he was truly humbled to receive. In true Nappy fashion, he crafted his speech with jokes and humorous tales, like telling everyone how his swings at Brookside Par 3 always shanked "dead right". He lamented the "wicked, worst shanking slumps" he would experience at local golf courses. The way Nappy tells it, his shanking skills started in high school and peaked in his junior season. After a particularly rough match against Patrick Henry, with Randy shanking an all-iron shot straight into a tree and losing 10-8, he "laid some rubber in the lot". This came as no surprise to most... Nappy always had a lead foot. Regardless, Randy loved to golf, and he championed the sport in any way he could throughout his career with The Roanoke Times. He was a staple of the annual Scott Robertson Memorial Golf Tournament, with Tom Robertson calling him a "godsend" for his coverage. In Nappy's words, "That's the rst and last time you would hear Randy King and the word godsend in the same sentence". To his family and friends, however, that's exactly what he was: a godsend.
Randy is survived by his wife of 40 years, JoAnne; his daughter, Heather; his son, Justin; his brother, Lloyd "LJ" (Sue); several nephews, and one niece. Nappy was the proud grandfather of Matthew and Madelyn and cherished every moment with them. The grandchildren adored their Nappy and will miss the love and laughter he showed them each day. Randy was one of a kind and deeply loved by many.
Visitation will be held on Monday, August 25th at Simpson Funeral Home on Peters Creek Road starting at 5:00 PM. Funeral services will immediately follow in the Chapel of Simpson Funeral Home.