WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — An event honoring Dr. Randy Stevens’ community contributions to the Wabash Valley took place Friday afternoon in West Terre Haute, Ind. during a regularly scheduled meeting of the Vigo County Democratic Party.
Stevens, a longtime member of the party, died earlier this month at the age of 69. He served the community for several decades, participating in service organizations, non-profits and medical associations with a specific focus on family medicine and substance abuse.
During the tribute Friday, community members, local officials and friends of Stevens spoke of the contributions he made in the areas of drug and alcohol addiction, incarceration reform and medical education. Speakers included County Party Chair Joseph Etling, County Sheriff John Plasse, Councilwoman Vicki Weger and Randy’s brother Rick Stevens.
Before the ceremony, Rick spoke about how Randy was not only an active member of his community, but also his family.
“As a brother to my sister Janet, brother Scott, you know he was a superhero,” Rick said. “He would do anything for us. He was always the glue of the family. He kept us together.”
In addition to those who recounted stories from Stevens’ life, David Weger played guitar and sang lyrics from some of Stevens’ favorite songs. Weger sang “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong and songs by Harry Chapin, one of Stevens’ favorite artists.
During the event, Stevens’ close friend and fellow medical professional Dr. Jim Turner of Marshall, Ill. spoke of Stevens’ work in the community and their great friendship. During his speech, Turner highlighted three pillars of Stevens’ life: Public service, education and leadership.
“Those two were kind of like Batman and Robin or peanut butter and jelly,” Etling said of Turner and Stevens’ friendship.
In December of 2021, Stevens was honored with the “Sagamore of the Wabash” award as well as the “Chapman S. Root” award, recognizing him for his decades of service to the community.
Rick Stevens clarified that this event was not a celebration of Randy’s life but rather a tribute to his service. Randy’s celebration of life event, Rick said, will be held at 12 p.m. on June 12 at the Terre Haute VFW.
