Randall Dee Hubbard

1935 - 2020

Randall Dee Hubbard

Palm Desert - Randall Dee Hubbard

6/13/1935 - 4/29/2020

Mr. Hubbard, "R.D". or Dee Hubbard as many knew him, passed away peacefully at his Palm Desert, CA home within BIGHORN Golf Club late Wednesday evening surrounded by family and friends.

Born into a hard-working family during the depression era, he was the youngest in a family of eight children. He worked hard as a young boy in his family's ice house in Smith Center, Kansas before going on to work the wheat fields during his summer breaks. He stayed close to home and after high school attended Butler Community College where he received his Associate Degree in order to become a teacher and basketball coach. Soon leaving teaching to better provide for his growing young family, he became a glass salesman. A move that would be the catalyst to huge business success in the glass field. He became President of Safelite Auto Glass and was so proud of the fact that still today you see Safelite trucks going about repairs and service all over the U.S. He formed his own glass company - AFG Industries - which he lead to become the 2nd largest flat glass manufacturer in North America. Selling the glass company in the early 1990's, he concentrated his efforts in the horse racing world - having purchased Ruidoso Downs Racing, Inc. in 1988 and initiating a take-over of the declining Hollywood Park Racetrack soon after. He added Turf Paradise in Phoenix, and The Woodlands in Kansas City, Kansas, and Multnomah Kennel Club to his portfolio-at the peak of his racing endeavors. He built the Zia Park racetrack in Hobbs, New Mexico in 2003 after being granted the license to build. He left a huge legacy as a breeder, horse owner, and forward thinker and innovator in the Horse racing world. As the 1990's drew to a close - he concentrated more of his time and efforts to growing BIGHORN Golf Club - a golf and real estate paradise situated at the foot of the Santa Rosa mountains in the Southern California town of Palm Desert. What started out as a group of investors joining together to purchase the golf course in order to preserve their quick play and tee times - became one of the most successful business endeavors that he undertook during his lifetime.

He worked hard, played harder, and loved being around people - whether it was a caddie on the golf course- or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, he treated them both with the same level of respect and interest. Mr. Hubbard expected a lot -but he also gave a lot - always leading by example. He and his wife, Joan Dale Hubbard formed The Hubbard Foundation in 1986 which has a concentration on funding scholarships to young people across the United States. To date, they have distributed over $47MM to fund educations and better lives primarily in Kansas, New Mexico and California. He helped form The Shoemaker Foundation - set up for ailing jockeys. BIGHORN Cares and BIGHORN Golf Club Charities were established to help those in the Coachella Valley and to give a leg up with education to his employees and their families at BIGHORN. He was honored with numerous awards - including The Phoenix Award in the glass business; he was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame, and one of his proudest moments - he was a recipient of The Horatio Alger Award. The one thing that eluded him was winning the All American Futurity - the #1 spot was the only one he never cashed in on.

Mr. Hubbard was preceded in death by his parents, Miner and Loese Hubbard; brothers Derrol, Dick and Jack, and sisters, Donna, Marge, Melba and daughter Teri. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Joan Dale, sons Derrol (Kim Casler) and Bret (Dan McGeary), daughter Shana Hubbard, his sister Ella Sparks, 6 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren; 3 nieces he adored and friends across the world. He will be sorely missed.

A celebration of life will be scheduled this summer. Memorial donations may be made to The Hubbard Foundation - P.O. Box 2498, Ruidoso, NM 88355