Michelle Randolph

I am very sad to let our community know Michelle Randolph has passed.

She lived chronically homeless in the Wallingford and surrounding neighborhoods of Seattle, often parking her RV around Gas Works Park, Green Lake, or along the side roads of I-5 in the University District.

I knew Michelle for nearly ten years and through all of that time I witnessed a fiercely determined woman, always pushing and advocating for herself and friends, all struggling through homelessness. She was a force, relentless in her survival.

My first memories of Michelle and her boyfriend Eric were when visiting them in her broken rundown RV. Blankets covered the windows for needed privacy, making it always dark, really dark until your eyes adjusted. Then there was Sid, her lovable and over excited Pit-bull. When opening the RV door, Sid would lunge forward, his paws hitting you in the chest with Michelle screaming, “No Sid no!!”. The next ten minutes was all about Sid, getting him to calm down as Michelle continued to yell out, “Get down!”, or “Back Sid back!”, or just a stream of “No!”

There were two main needs Michelle had while experiencing homelessness. The first was medical. She was a frequent flyer at the UW Hospital, being seen for a number of issues. She had heart trouble, with symptoms of severe edema, and also lung issues that had her short of breath, often arriving at the emergency room in a panic. For the last year she regularly depended on a wheelchair. She also talked about a brain tumor but I don’t know much about it.

The second need was the constant required repair for her homeRV. From flat or bald tires, water-proofing the roof, generators, hoses, heater, fuel pump, to always addressing the mold and rats. It was a never ending battle for her.

A heartfelt thank you to the Facing Homelessness community, and later on the You Know Me Now community, for answering to Michelle’s needs over the years. I know those moments were often a life-line for her.

Here are a few words from Karina Wallace, who is the Community Programs Manager for Facing Homelessness and also lived homeless as Michelle’s friend.
“What I loved about Michelle is that she always showed me “tough love”. I don’t know where my life would have turned if she hadn’t had made connections for me while I was living homeless. Michelle was always the mom of the streets. She took everyone in as her own, helping people with food, medical supplies, and everything she had, she shared with everyone. I always looked at her as my “street mom”. After I got into housing and started building a new life for myself, she never took it against me or treated me differently because of it. We’ve been through some rough times together, but in the end I know she always loved me. Michelle takes care of people, it’s just what she did for everyone. Michelle had an interesting way of showing care and love, which sometimes could be perceived as hostility, but considering her personality and who she is, we all knew she comes from a good place in her heart. A lot of people are going to be sad to not have her in their lives anymore. Including me, even though I didn’t see her everyday. Just last week on Wednesday, I was driving to work and was passing the U-District Food Bank. At the stop light I saw Michelle sitting outside and I yelled out to her, “Michelle!” That was the first time I’d seen her in months, and now sadly that will be the last time I will ever see her. I feel like that might have been the universe allowing me to see her one last time, with a smile on her face.”

Here are a few words from Dizzy, another individual that lived homeless as a friend of Michelle’s. “Michelle would always let me in her house when I was dope sick. I must say she would put up with me when I was at my worst.”

Most importantly, here is a sharing from Tiffany, Michelle’s daughter.
“You were a good mom, a best friend you taught me how to fish you taught me how to drive you taught me the fundamentals. Because of you, I am able to be a good hard worker. Because of you, I never let people take you for granted. Because of you, I will be the best wife that I could possibly be a good mother to my daughters. I can’t bring you back, but I can hold onto the memories that we share. I will love you and miss you for the rest of my life. I love you tía/mamá.”

If you want to help Tiffany with burial expenses for her mom, you can donate to the YouKnowMeNow Venmo account @YouKnowMeNow. All funds will be sent to Tiffany, no funds used by You Know Me Now.

We are a sending a community size LOVE to you Michelle for your continued journey.