Randall H. Gifford Jr. (1927-2018)

FARMINGTON – Randall H. Gifford Jr., 90, of Farmington and Lake Placid, Fla. went to be with the Lord on Monday, May 21, 2018, with his wife Audrey at his side.

He was born June 10, 1927 in Portland, the son of Randall and Dorothy (Swasey) Gifford.

Randall graduated from William Hall High School in West Hartford, Conn. He went on to the University of Connecticut, graduating from the School of Agriculture in Storrs, Conn.

On September 13, 1947, he married Audrey Main in Westerly, Rhode Island. After college he was employed by Chris Nielson & Sons Dairy of Bloomfield, Conn., and then by Audrey’s father at Westerly Dairy in Pawcatuck, Conn.

In 1954, Randall and Audrey purchased a Dairy (milk business) in Forestville, Conn. Later it became R.H. Gifford Dairy & Sons. In 1971, the Gifford’s moved to Farmington, where they owned and operated Gifford’s Dairy, Inc., and founded Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream in Skowhegan.

Randall was past President of the Maine Milk Dealers Association and served on the Maine Dairy Council. He was a member of the Maine Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rights, Kora Temple Shrine and Faith Baptist Church in Lake Placid, Fla.

He loved watching his children and grandchildren participate in their school sports activities. He hardly ever missed a game. He was an avid bass fisherman both in Maine and in Florida, where he and Audrey spent many happy winters after retirement. Randall and Audrey loved to travel and had visited every state in the Union except for Hawaii.

He is survived by his wife, Audrey Gifford of Farmington and Lake Placid, Fla; one daughter, Donna Torrey and husband Lawrence (Rocky) of Buckfield; three sons, Arland and wife Cindy, of Alfred, Roger and wife Peggy of Naples, Fla., and John and wife Cathy of Skowhegan; fourteen grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; four brother in laws; Warren MacGovern of Farmington, Conn., Richard Ficken, of Ellicott City, Md., Alden Main and wife Lori of Baton Rouge, La., and Keith Main and wife Lois of Pawcatuck, Conn.

Randall was predeceased by his two sisters Janet Ficken and Joyce MacGovern; and two grandsons, Ty Gifford, son of Arland and Cindy Gifford, and Brett Gifford, son of John and Cathy Gifford.

At Randall’s request there will be no funeral services, but a memorial graveside service will be held this summer in Farmington, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Jimmy Fund, jimmyfund.org/gift or the Shriners Childrens Hospital, shrinershospitalsforchildren.org

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Dan and Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 488 Farmington Falls Rd., Farmington, ME.