Randal Steven Rhea, 62, of Sandusky, Iowa (formerly of Carthage, IL, Indianola, IA and Jonesboro, AR) passed away at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Randy was born July 17, 1952 in LaHarpe, Illinois, the son of Jamie W. and G. Marcine Denmire Rhea. He attended school in Dallas City and Carthage, graduating from Carthage High School, with the Class of 1970. Following High School he attended Robert Morris College in Carthage.

On July 3rd, 1975 Randy married Tara Liane Turner. Together they raised three children: Randal Aric (Rocksi) Rhea, of Bono, Arkansas, Megan Liane (Nick Rook) Rhea, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Jessica (Jerry) Knearem, of Shelbyville, Illinois. In 2001 he married Peggy Hueppauff. They later divorced.

Following school he worked for the Hancock County Highway Dept., Sutton Construction and Orba Johnson Transshipment. Randy then made a career in the trucking industry, building tractor-trailers for Fruehauf Corporation in Fort Madison, Iowa and working his way up to foreman. He became an over-the-road truck driver when the manufacturing plant in Fort Madison closed, but returned to Fruehauf Corporation when the company began production in Indianola, Iowa. He was recruited by Trailmobile, Inc in Jonesboro, Arkansas as their lead Safety Inspector. After many years building and inspecting trailers, Randy returned to trucking over-the-road, full-time, for Vermillion Brothers Trucking, Keokuk, Iowa and most recently for M C T Transportation in Rapid City, South Dakota. He drove an 18-wheeler across the country hundreds of times and enjoyed telling his kids and grandkids of his adventures.

Randy was fascinated with airplanes, loved attending air shows, and enjoyed a lifetime of flying with his dad. He was fond of watching nature, especially birds, deer, and other wildlife. An avid, life-long fan of rock & roll, Randy instilled a love of music in his children, who attended many concerts with him in recent years, including: The Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, Santana, The Black Crowes, and Eric Clapton.

In addition to his children, Randy is survived by his father, Jamie W. Rhea, of Niota, his brother, Richard (Deb) Rhea of Elyria, Ohio, his sister Sheri (Terry) Long, of Carthage, Illinois and six grandchildren, Turner and Layla Rhea, of Bono, Arkansas, Eva Liane Rook, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Ethan Turner, Gatlin and Nash Knearem, of Shelbyville, Illinois.

He was preceded in death by his mother, G. Marcine Rhea, and grandparents, Jamie and Mary A. Rhea, Charles and Thelma Schwiete, and Lawrence and Edith Denmire.

Services will be held at 2:00 PM Friday, January 2, 2015 at Banks & Beals Funeral Home in Dallas City with Mark Pettit officiating. Burial will be in the Myers Cemetery near Niota, Illinois. The family will meet with friends from 3:00 until 5:00 PM Thursday at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established for the American Heart Association. Condolences may be left at banksandbeals.com.