Former Alexandria mayor, Ned Randolph, passes away

The Central Louisiana community is mourning the loss of a political powerhouse who has passed away.

Former City of Alexandria mayor, Ned Randolph, died early Tuesday morning surrounded by his family. He was 74. Randolph served as mayor of the city from 1986-2006.

Prior to his lengthy career as mayor, Randolph was also a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives in the 1970s and the state senate in the late 1970s to late 1980s.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah Randolph, who is the president of the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce. She released the following statement about the passing of her husband:

"It is with deep sadness that I announce that my husband, former Alexandria Mayor Edward G. "Ned" Randolph, Jr., 74, passed away today at 7:50 a.m. at Grace Home.

He waged a courageous battle with Alzheimer's Disease for many years and I am grateful to have been at his side to help him through this journey, including the final moments of it.

Ned often told me how privileged he felt to have had the opportunity to serve his community as mayor. He described those years as the best if his life.

Our children and I and other close family members are currently making funeral arrangements and will release information when it becomes available."

According to Randolph's family, his body will lay in repose at City Hall in Alexandria Thursday starting at noon, an event that will be open to the public. His funeral will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at First United Church on Jackson Street.

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy released this statement: "Mayor Ned Randolph possessed a genuine love of Alexandria, this community and our region. Studying him and his wonderful legacy, I often think about Ned’s greatest twin virtues of kindness and integrity. Those two virtues he possessed in abundance allowed him political, but more importantly, personal success. He left his imprint everywhere, and he left a legacy of how decency defines great people, how the goodness of this man who wanted to minister to people as a pastor ended up informing the life of a man who ministered to the people as a mayor.

"Thank you to Deborah Randolph for her support of Ned, and her own contributions to our area. She was with him until he passed, at his side taking personal care of him until it was literally impossible. She is to be commended or her exemplary devotion to her husband, to the oaths we take as married people, and again like him, for her own decency, her integrity and her kindness.”