H. Randall Stoke

1928 - 2020

Stoke, H. Randall (Randy) H. Randall Stoke was born in Champagne, IL to Hazel Carroll Stoke and Herschel R. Stoke on 12/14/1928. Randy passed peacefully at home on 2/28/2020. His parents and his sisters Ruth Irene Kaiser and Carolyn Bollenbach Schafer Pierce preceded him in death. Prior to retiring to Del Mar, Randy was a renowned attorney (in 1955 the 13th in the partnership) at Latham & Watkins. He graduated from UC Berkeley, earned his law degree at Boalt Hall, and was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. His career specialized in local governmental and land development matters. Los Angeles Magazine listed Randy as one of the 50 Most Powerful People in the City of Los Angeles on two occasions, and Los Angeles Lawyer magazine listed him as the "Premier Land Use Lawyer". Key projects included the legal aspects of the subdivision and development of Century City and Warner Center. He spearheaded the team that obtained the land use entitlements for the Getty Center in the Santa Monica Mts. In the 1970s as the electronic industry was beginning in a big way, Randy worked with the City of LA to adopt codes approving the use of "flexible cables, plugs and receptacles". The approval in Los Angeles and then California led to nationwide acceptance, helping to move forward the portability of phones and the computer revolution. Close to home and to his heart, in 1968 he formed the Oak Tree Racing Association at Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia. He was counsel until his retirement in 1994, and enjoyed every minute of the work as well as racing and breeding thoroughbreds. Marilyn recommended and the Board approved the hydraulic horse ambulance in use at race tracks today. Professionally he was active in many building industry associations and on key Boards in LA City and LA County. He was active in youth programs, particularly soccer, where he served on the AYSO Region 2 Board and was instrumental in starting AYSO's girls' soccer program in the Pasadena area as well as girls' soccer at the high school level. He coached a girls' team for many years. Attending the USA Women's Soccer Team win of the first World Cup Championship in Pasadena was truly a proud moment. In retirement, when not at the race track, Randy could be found on the tennis courts, playing bocce and backgammon on the beach, as a member of the Board of the Friends of Del Mar Library, and sorting just under 100,000 stuffed animals for daughter Nancy's Care 'n Share Toy Drive. Randy is survived by his lovely wife of 66 years, Marilyn, and children Nancy, Jeffrey, and Suzanne, granddaughter Kelly (the apple of his eye) and his loving relatives in the Kaiser Family. Public services will be held Monday March 16 at 2 pm at Village Community Presbyterian Church in Rancho Santa Fe; reception follows. Interment will be at Miramar National Cemetery on March 17 at 1:30 pm. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Friends of Del Mar Library or the Homeless Veterans' Initiative championed by Village Church.