Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

PASSAGES Art teacher/advocate Patrick Rand dies
by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times
2018-01-10

This article shared 2549 times since Wed Jan 10, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Patrick Charles Rand Jr., 54, died Dec. 25. The cause of death is unknown.

At the time of his death, Rand was an art teacher at Tilden High School. He previously taught art in Chicago at Pickard Elementary School, Agassiz for Performing Arts Magnet Cluster School, William F. Finkl Academy, John Smith Elementary, Willa Cather and Leif Ericson Schools and in Richmond, Virginia at George Mason and Swansboro Elementary Schools.

While at Pickard, Rand focused on cultural practice sharing and art techniques/history. He wrote and secured multiple grants from a variety of entities to expand the art resources at the school and collaborated with other teachers to enrich student learning.

Rand also took every K-8 student on fully grant funded annual field trips to museums, musical concerts ( including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra ) and theater performances ( including the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago ) with the goal of exposing them to a wide variety of artistic disciplines. He also brought Yo-Yo Ma to Pickard for a performance and organized and led the annual talent show there.

In addition to these endeavors, Rand implemented a partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository ( GCFD ) and oversaw the in-school Kids Healthy Market that provided free fresh food and staples twice a month to needy families. Rand was also recruited by the GCFD to train people at the National Conference on Hunger. He was featured on GCFD's Meet the Advocates video series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILS3iw4t9YA.

He also established a partnership with Impact in the Northern suburbs to provide Christmas gifts for K-5 students.

Rand was born Aug. 1, 1963 in Richmond, Virginia, and spent his childhood there. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor of fine arts degree with a focus on studio art and sculpture, and an art education certificate. He moved to Chicago in 1995 after a vacation to the city to see his friend.

While teaching at Pickard, Rand got his masters degree in curriculum and instructional leadership as well as a Type 75 administrators certificate from National-Louis University.

Rand is survived by partner Jose Avila; their dog; Heath; mother Marge Rand; sisters, Missy Rand ( Wayne Conners ), Dee Dee ( Lake ) Critzer, Melanie Rand ( Bantz Wyant ) and Lori ( Mike ) Kennedy; his nieces and nephews Patrick ( Rachel ) Rand and their son Riley, Ashlie ( Tyler ) Buell and their daughter Leah, Brian Horning, Kate Horning, David Horning, Morgan Barker and Haley Barker as well as countless friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Patrick C. Rand Sr.

"Patrick believed that folks should never just 'speak their mind' recklessly because he said words mattered and how you use them should not be done thoughtlessly, especially around children," said Avila.

"Patrick was a gifted artist, passionate teacher, voracious reader and avid traveler," said his niece Kate Horning. "He was always happiest when surrounded by friends, particularly at biannual group vacations to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Known as his herd or—thanks to a typo with staying power—his 'birches,' Patrick's friends illuminated his life. Patrick lived with an intentional heart and open mind. But most of all, he was a beautiful soul, generous spirit, gracious host, enthralling storyteller, the life of the party and light of our lives."

"He was such a force of brightness," said longtime friend and fellow teacher Sue Stone. "People only had to meet him once and they instantly felt a connection. Patrick cared so deeply for his family, friends and especially his students. He was more than a teacher, he was an advocate for all the kids. I have been receiving emails from students we taught. They all remember his kind heart and caring spirit. Although his subject area was art, he was about developing the whole child. He taught in underserved neighborhoods and had a keen instinct for what would open doors for these kids. He brought them experiences and helped them dream bigger—beyond what they thought they could be or do.

"If you read the book Wonder, there is a teacher named Mr. Browne. He gives the students a saying to analyze and interpret each month. One of them is 'Your deeds are your monuments.' Patrick embodied this in the truest sense. Personally he was one of the dearest people I have ever met. He was tender, kind and had a razor-sharp wit. He loved big and embraced adventure. I will miss his beautiful spirit every day."

"Patrick was a wonderful human being," said longtime friend Dan Olson. "He was the most thoughtful, kind and warm person I have ever known. Patrick was very passionate about teaching and his students and always went above and beyond for them and others in the community. He loved reading, traveling, cooking and hosting people for dinner. Finally, he adored and loved his and Jose's dog Heath. I will miss him so much."

"Patrick was a kind soul that was thoughtful until the very end when he cooked a meal, entertained and gave gift bags to his friends in his home on Christmas Eve, the night before he died," said friend and Windy City Times contributor Jerry Nunn. "I was honored to have been there and to have known him."

"Patrick was smart and fun," said longtime friend Curt Schade. "He loved travel, art and music and being with his family, friends and students. He was a gracious host and a welcome guest, always laughing, smiling and being the life of every party. His many friends already miss Patrick so much."

A memorial service will be held March 3 in Chicago ( details are forthcoming ). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that people donate to a children's charity or food bank of their choosing.


This article shared 2549 times since Wed Jan 10, 2018
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

PASSAGES Dorothy Elizabeth McGroarty 2024-03-14
- Dorothy Elizabeth McGroarty, 82, of The Breakers at Edgewater Beach, and a former resident of Andersonville, passed away Feb. 16 surrounded by her loving family. Born in Dearborn, Michigan, Dorothy was raised on Chicago's South and ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Bryan Dean Wilson 2024-03-14
- Bryan Dean Wilson, 64, of Chicago, passed away March 11. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bryan graduated from Washington High school in Cedar Rapids before earning his B.S. in Biology from Mount Mercy University, also in ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood 2024-03-13
- LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner 2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Charles R. Tobin 2024-03-03
- Charles R. Tobin, 81, peacefully passed away on Dec. 23, 2023, in the company of his husband, after living with Lewey body dementia for several years. Charlie was born and raised in the Fernwood neighborhood on ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Trailblazing judge and attorney Patricia M. Logue passes away 2024-02-26
- The Honorable Patricia Logue ("Pat" to her friends, Trish" to her family) was a brilliant lawyer, a trailblazing jurist and a hero to the LGBTQ community. Pat's legacy includes numerous landmark cases she litigated over her ...


Gay News

Oklahoma non-binary student dies after being assaulted 2024-02-21
- Officials acknowledged there are unresolved questions about a 16-year-old non-binary Oklahoma student who died one day after a fight in a high school bathroom, NBC News noted. Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, ...


Gay News

GLAAD remembers Cecilia Gentili, transgender Latina, actress, activist, health care activist, journalist 2024-02-06
--From a press release - (New York, NY - February 6, 2024) GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, is responding to the death of transgender actress and advocate Cecilia Gentili and elevating voices of transgender and political leaders honoring ...


Gay News

More information emerges about death on Atlantis gay cruise 2024-02-04
By Lu Calzada - Further details have emerged following the death of a Chicago man on a Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas Atlantis cruise targeted towards gay men. Following a Reddit post by the man's sister — which has ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Imperial Court's Scott Archer remembered as selfless, devoted 2024-02-04
By Alec Karam - As the old saying goes, we all have an angel on one shoulder, and a devil on the other. Well, Scott Archer was all angel, his best friend Herman Coen believes. "Everybody wanted to talk to Scott, because Scott was Scott," ...


Gay News

Broadway star Chita Rivera dies at 91 2024-01-30
- Chita Rivera—a Broadway legend with more than seven decades of credits—has died at age 91 after a short illness, People Magazine reported. "It is with immense personal sorrow that I announce the death of the beloved ...


Gay News

PASSSAGES Chef Michael Thomas Zito 2024-01-02
- Chef Michael Thomas Zito, 55, ("Chef Bear Italia" and "Big Chef") passed away December 12, 2023, unexpectedly at home in Chicago's Belmont Gardens neighborhood. Born in Kentucky to Pentecostal missionaries from New York, Mike began cooking ...


Gay News

Gay political trailblazer Ken Sherrill passes away at age 81 2023-12-30
- Kenneth Sherrill—a pioneering political scientist who was also the first out gay elected official in New York history—died in early December at age 81 from surgical complications, Gay City News reported. He is survived by his ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Paris Johnson 2023-12-29
- Paris Johnson, 29, of Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, passed away unexpectedly Nov. 28. He would have celebrated his 30th birthday Dec. 20. Born into a military family in Sacramento, California, Paris moved often in his youth, ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.