Randy Neil

December 16, 1941 - March 6, 2024
Family lore tells of a young Randy Neil standing in front of the family's first television, ceremoniously turning it off and commanding attention to his own performance. That account perfectly captures the life and essence of Randy. He was bold, entertaining, brilliant and determined to make the most of every moment. After all, his favorite quote was from the movie Auntie Mame: "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"
Randy was born in Kansas City, Mo., the son of Randolph Steele Neil and Elizabeth Floyd Neil on December 16, 1941. Six years later, the family welcomed a girl, Mary, to complete the family.
From an early age, Randy's curiosity and spirited nature made him a force to be reckoned with. His childhood was filled with many happy times, notably visiting the Dime Store in Brookside, which his grandfather founded in 1939.
He went on to attend Shawnee Mission East ("a Lancer he will always be") and the University of Kansas. At KU, he became interested in cheerleading after seeing male cheerleaders on the sidelines at a sports event. He joined the KU squad, and his budding interest soon became his passion.
In 1963, Randy joined the staff of the Kansas City Chiefs. He established their cheerleading program and, in 1965, he founded the International Cheerleading Foundation then served as its CEO for 30 years. Randy wrote the first definitive textbook (and bestseller) on cheerleading (The Official Cheerleaders Handbook, 1979, Simon & Schuster). In 1978-1981, he executive produced the National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships for CBS. His success earned him the nickname "Mr. Spirit," and he will forever be known for his influence on cheerleading as we know it today.
In the 1970s, Randy founded the National Film Society, the film industry's non-profit association devoted to the preservation of the heritage, artifacts and history of the American motion picture. During this time, he also started the American Classic Screen magazine.
His interests were wide and varied, yet his family meant the most to him. In 1976, his daughter Merritt Angeline was born, and he took the role of dad very seriously. Randy was devoted to opening her eyes to the world and took her on many of his travels, which continued well into adulthood.
In 1982, he married Denise Fouquet. They were married 42 years and enjoyed raising many rescue dogs, dining out and watching sports together religiously (go Royals, KU and Chiefs).
A lifelong Democrat, Randy devoted his time to politics during the 1970s, serving on the Kansas National Democratic Committee and working on Jimmy Carter's campaign.
After a full career in cheerleading, Randy decided to turn his lifelong hobby of stamp collecting into a second career. In 1996, he established Neil Creative Media, a marketing agency for the world of philately. The firm was a runaway success. He also published and edited multiple periodicals over the years, most recently his beloved Kelleher's Stamp Collector's Quarterly.
Randy's awards in the hobby of stamp collecting are too numerous to recount. Still, one of his greatest life honors was being named to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, an award established by the English Royal family to recognize the greatest minds in the hobby. Yet he always insisted the greatest reward from philately was the friendships he made over the years.
To the friends and family witnessing his genius, Randy was so much more than any achievement on paper. He viewed the world with all the wonder of a child and navigated it as though no obstacles stood in his way. If no path existed for his vision, he forged it. And as passionate as he was about his own pursuits, he was just as passionate about helping others achieve their own goals. Randy was a cheerleader for everyone he loved.
He was a bright light. He lived with vigor and zest. His absence will be felt by the cheerleading community, among his former classmates at Shawnee Mission East, by his friends in philately and most of all, by his family.
Randy's legacy was secured long before his death, which he faced with characteristic humor and spirit. Close family at his bedside, he comforted them, saying, "Even the worst day of my life was still wonderful."
Surviving family members include his wife Denise Fouquet-Neil; his daughter Merritt Neil; grandchildren Jackson and Angela Engel; his nephew Jesse (Brianna Thayer) Goldman; his mother-in-Law Martha Fouquet; sister-in-law Kathey (John) Fouquet; niece Ashley (Jake) Wood; nephew Alex; great niece Emery Watson and great nephew Jackson Wood. He is preceded in death by his sister Mary Elizabeth Neil and his parents.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Randy's favorite non-profit, the place where he and Denise adopted so many of their dogs, LL Dog Rescue, Attn: In Memory of Randy Neil, P.O. Box 8545, Shawnee Mission, KS 66208.