Attended New Trier East

Randi DeVos Barrentine

Martha Randall de Vos Barrentine, ''Randi'' died peacefully four days after her 45th birthday, surrounded by family and friends, on Thursday morning, July 23, 1998. She was a loving wife and devoted mother, daughter, sister and cherished friend. She will be deeply missed and remembered as a person filled with love, laughter, intelligence and beauty.

Randi was born in Washington, D.C., on July 19, 1953, the daughter of Martha Beam de Vos and the late Frances de Vos, Phd. Randi's early years were spent on the grounds of the National Arboretum, where her father was Assistant Director. The family moved to Silver Springs, Maryland, and later to the North Shore of Chicago, where Randi graduated from New Trier East High School. Randi attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree, cum laude, in Communication Disorders, with a minor in child psychology in 1975. The following year, Randi was awarded a Master's Degree in Speech Pathology from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), where she had served as an Assistant Head Resident.

Randi held many professional positions throughout her life: as speech/language pathologist on a multi-disciplinary team that diagnosed and treated learning disabled students for a 5-county area in Virginia; as a speech/language pathologist in the inncer city schools of Bibb County, Georgia; as a speech/language pathologist for the San Jose, California, Unified School District. She served as a speech/language pathologist during the last six years in the local Austin area working in the Austin ISD, the Round Rock ISD and the Pflugerville ISD. In addition, Randi had served both adult and child populations through various rehabilitation agencies. Professional affiliations include memberships in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Austin Speech and Hearing Association. Randi held her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Throughout her life, Randi was a dedicated volunteer who shared her considerable talents, enery and compassion with countless organizations, including the Austin Junior Forum, various PTA boards (holding several offices), the American Cancer Society and Bethany United Methodist Church. She and her husband owned/operated a small ostrich ranching operation east of Pflugerville.
Randi set an example of courage and grace as she battled Lymphoma for 12 years and 11 months. She was willing to work with her physicians trying both conventional and research approaches, to pioneer medical advances in disease treatment. She was very indebted to her long-time oncologist, Dr. J. Dudley Youman.

Randi is survived by her husband of 21 years, Melvin W. Barrentine; and two daughters, Johanna and Ashley, of Austin. She is also survived by her mother; brother, Peter F. de Vos; and sisters, Ann Stellwagen, Frederica Kraines and Judith Umberger and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, Randi requested contributions be made to the ''Make-A-Wish Foundation.''
Visitation will be held at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 14501 North IH35, Pflugerville, Texas. (Ph: 251-4118) from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 1998.

-  Austin American-Statesman (TX)  July 25, 1998