James Randall Dry February 10, 1933 – July 25, 2024

The family moved to San Marcos in December, 1937. Randy attended Campus Elementary, a College Demonstration School, located on the Southwest Texas State Teachers College (SWTTC) campus. He graduated from San Marcos High School in May 1952, and enrolled at SWTTC in June 1952.

He joined the U. S. Naval Reserve on his 18th birthday and served eight years, two years on active duty with the Seabee Base Unit at Davisville, R. I., and then with MCB-6 on Grand Turk, British West Indies, and then Antigua, British West Indies, preparing Sonar and Radar facilities for both the Cold War Defense and the Space Program.

Randy met Mary Jo Eilers at Sewell Park in June, 1956, while they were both students at SWTTC, and they were married September 1, 1957. In August, 1958, he graduated from UT-Austin with a BA in Math and Physics and moved to Freer, Texas to teach high school math and physics for two years, then teaching at Woodsboro High School two years, and then Seguin High School for four years. He followed that with a year as High School principal at Garwood, Texas. Then he moved to Bloomington, Texas where he was the Junior High and High School principal for 4 years. He then moved to New Braunfels as Principal of Bulverde Elementary-Junior High School for three years, and Goodwin Elementary School Principal for seventeen years, with one year as Mountain Valley Elementary-Junior High Principal in 1976-77. Retired in 1992, he and his family remained in New Braunfels until January 1999 when they moved to San Marcos.

In December of 2022, he and Mary Jo moved to Brookdale Senior Living where he happily lived his last year and a half. He very much appreciated each and every employee at Brookdale. They were very thoughtful and caring in his last years. Randy also had Homewell caregivers helping him in his last month stay, which he very much appreciated. In his retirement years, Randy spent much time enjoying woodworking, auto maintenance, walking and weight lifting at the San Marcos Activity Center with great friends, working on family history, camping, traveling, lawn care, Bible studies, spirituality studies, drinking coffee with friends, watching TV documentaries, reading, and enjoying nature in his backyard.

Organizations that Randy was active in at different times included the Lions Club (4 years), the Optimist Club (fifteen years), and Texas State Teachers' Association. He also communicated widely with his CB radio, and he thoroughly enjoyed hunting and target shooting for many years.

He stated that, 'Throughout my life, every person I met has taught me something. In my early years I was not always aware of this, but I now know this is true, and I want to a say 'Thank you' to all for your knowledge and the wisdom you have given me. God Bless you all. What a fantastic life!!!'

Randy is survived by his wife, Mary Jo Dry; daughters, Bobbie Bloch and husband Billy, Becky Upchurch, Diane Candler, Carol Summers and husband Charlie; grandchildren, Patrick Walker and wife Sarah, Lucas Bloch, Casey Ange and husband Matt, Christopher Upchurch, Meggie Upchurch Dixon and husband Tanner, Robert Candler, Katie Summers, Chad Summers and Ryan Summers; and great grandchildren Tyler and Camryn Walker and Caspian Ange.

Services were at Pennington Funeral Home in San Marcos, Texas, with entombment at Sts. Peter and Paul Mausoleum in New Braunfels, Texas.