NEWS

Randall Rich Kincaid, Jr, of Davidson, NC, died on his 83^rd birthday, Saturday, March 11, 2023, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Mac Kincaid, who was steadfast by his side through the difficult progression of the disease; his sons, John and Ted, who loved him dearly; his sisters Sarah Kincaid Smith and Rosemary Kincaid Padrick; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Kay Fletcher Kincaid, who died in 2007, and his parents, Dr. Randall Rich Kincaid and Sallie Ange Kincaid, of Quincy, Florida.

Randall was deeply loved by his grandchildren—Ellie, Ava, Henry, Halle, and Julia – and he was very proud of them. While they were young, he devoted endless amounts of time to all of them, once commenting that he had to spend as much time as possible with his “grands” before they got too old to want to be with their grandaddy. That time never came: he was present and important in their lives to the end, and they sought out and enjoyed his company and friendship even in his final days. He will be missed fiercely and never forgotten by all of the children lucky enough to have felt his love.

Randall was born and reared in Quincy, Florida. After graduating first in his class from Quincy High School, he attended Wofford College, coming home to  marry Kay in Quincy in 1962. Kay brought joy to Randy’s life as he pursued his PhD in economics at Duke University, then as they moved to Davidson in 1967 where they stayed for the rest of their lives. They raised two sons—John, now an attorney in Durham, married to Mary Mulhern Kincaid, and Ted, a surgeon in Winston-Salem, married to Shiva Jarrahi Kincaid. After Kay’s death from ovarian cancer, Randall married Mary Mac Owens Hall, formerly of Quincy, and they enjoyed retirement together, living in Davidson with friends new and old.

Upon his marriage to Mary Mac, Randall was thrilled to find himself with five new grandchildren —Tyler, Anna, Ellie (Ellie number 2), Owen, and Evan—children of Mary Mac’s children, Laura and Cody. He was blessed to have them in his life, and he loved them all.

Randall’s ranging interests led some to label him a renaissance man, but despite his many talents, his heart was always in government. He taught economics at Davidson College and Queens University and was instrumental in the launch of the Queens Executive MBA program. He also worked for Kay at Farm House Gardeners, the plant nursery they founded in Statesville with their friends, Bob and Jane Avinger. He worked for two years for the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington. For eighteen years, he was an elected commissioner of the Town of Davidson. From 1997 until his retirement in 2007, he was mayor of the Town, spearheading initiatives on affordable housing and smart growth. Randall maintained that being mayor was his most important work; his reward was spending his life in a beautiful town and strong community.

The same love of people that led him to local government made him a familiar face all across town. One of the founders of the local Habitat for Humanity, he oversaw the construction of sixteen homes, working closely with his best friend, Ken Wood. He enjoyed the theatre and participated both on-stage and back-stage in several Davidson Community Players productions. He sang in the choir and chaired the property committee at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. He loved playing the piano and singing, an ode to his parents, and he cherished his years playing the tuba in the North Mecklenburg Moravian band.    

On his retirement as Mayor, the Town and College showered him with recognition, but his most treasured honor came when his governmental colleagues named the town greenway, “The Randall R. Kincaid Trail.”

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Davidson College Presbyterian Church or the Davidson Lands Conservancy.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00AM on Friday, March 31, at Davidson College Presbyterian Church.

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