NEWBURY TWP., Ohio — A Geauga County community is mourning the loss of a beloved educator. This week, Berkshire Local Schools coach and physical education teacher Joe Randall was killed in a motorcycle crash.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Randall was riding northbound on State Route 44 shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday when he hit a deer just south of State Route 87. He was thrown from the bike and then hit by a commercial vehicle. He died from his injuries. The Stow resident was minutes away from arriving at work in Burton.
“I was just devastated. I’m still in disbelief of the events of yesterday,” Kathy Reynolds told News 5 Thursday.
Reynolds was a secretary at the former Ledgemont Elementary and Middle School building from 1999-2015. Randall was a physical education teacher and coach for the school at the same time. She recalled him being an avid motorcyclist.
“He rode that bike whenever he could, in all the nice weather,” Reynolds said. “Whenever he could he always came to school on that bike. He was riding that bike for as long as I’ve known him.”
She explained he was a beloved part of the Ledgemont community and was equally loved when he moved to Berkshire Local Schools after the Ledgemont acquisition in 2015.
“I used to call him ‘Papa Joe’ instead of Papa John. And a lot of the kids called him ‘G.I. Joe.’ And that was in reference to his former military background,” she said. “He was a great guy, always had a smile on his face, the kids just loved him.”
Randall’s staff bio on the Berkshire Local Schools web page said he had 18 years of experience in education. Reynolds believes the loss of the longtime teacher, coach and friend will leave a gaping hole in the former Ledgemont community, the current Berkshire community and among those who knew and loved him.
“I still have goosebumps right now. I just can’t even imagine… for that to happen to him, I don’t even know what to say. I have no words,” she said.
Investigators said the driver of the commercial vehicle involved in the crash was not injured. The crash is still under investigation.
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