Charles E. Rand

Charles E. Rand, 83, of Huntington Beach, California, fondly known as “Chuck” to his longtime friends and “Charlie” to his family, passed peacefully at Orange Coast Medical Center, Fountain Valley, CA on Sunday, June 25, 2023.

Charles was born in Youngstown, Ohio on August 16, 1939, a son of Earl “Punch” and Elsie (Woodall) Rand. He graduated from South High School in 1957.  Upon graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After serving his country, he returned home and worked in the local steel mills, but he quickly grew restless and longed to see the world. He found his opportunity to leave Youngstown by investing in the relatively new Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwich Stores and  the Raffel Bros. were looking to expand their franchise west of the Mississippi River.

In 1968, he opened his first Arby’s Store in Tucson, Az. Through corporate networking, he had a chance encounter with a couple franchise owners that wanted to expand into Southern California, they formed a partnership and he moved to Long Beach, Ca which served as his home base for 29 years. He retired in 1999 with the sale of his last store. At one time, he operated 13 stores, along with the Dixie Bun Company which provided product to several fast food restaurants in the Southern California region.

Charlie, as he was affectionately called by his Youngstown family, would often return home for visits. The family doted on the oldest of his generation. His mother and aunts would delight in bringing everyone together for a traditional Thanksgiving Feast- no matter what time of year, as it was his favorite meal. He is survived by an aunt, Kathy (Spisak) Woodall and several cousins, Alfred Cozart, Linda (Woodall) McCullough, Joseph Woodall, Jr., Bonnie (Woodall) Clemons, Diana (Woodall) West, Patricia (Lyden) Yank, Pamela (Cozart) Harklerode, Star (Woodall) Humphrey, Rebecca (Woodall) Stocker, William Woodall, and John Woodall.

Chuck had a very close circle of friends in California which he also considered as family; especially Laurie Gibbs, Jackie Emerson, and Cosmo Miccoli, who remained at his side until the very end. He had a passion for “partying” on Friday nights in his Limo to the local dance clubs, as well as coordinating many cruises over the years, often taking the party out to sea.

He was preceded in death by his parents and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

As per his wishes, his remains will be cremated and distributed at sea along with a Celebration of Life which will take place in Huntington Beach, California at a later date.

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