Charlene Faye (Clark) Randolph

Charlene Clark Randolph, 83, of Johnsonville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully with family by her side on April 10, 2026.

Born Charlene Faye Clark on February 18,1943, she was the oldest child of the late Daniel Angus Clark and Rebecca Stewart Clark, and a loving big sister to brother Terry Wayne and sister Bonnie Sue. She grew up in the small Harnett County community of Johnsonville where institutions like school and church and tobacco farming created a close-knit circle of family and friends who shared the joys and challenges of rural life. From the start, Charlene was a devoted daughter and a friend to all, cultivating deep and lasting friendships with siblings, cousins and classmates that bound them together for a lifetime. Charlene was an excellent student, serving in various leadership roles and graduating as valedictorian of her class at Benhaven School in 1961, and her penchant for athletics, fun and mischief endeared her to her classmates and teachers. The friendships she forged with this remarkable group sustained her throughout her life, and Benhaven School reunions were a much-anticipated and treasured tradition over the years. After high school, Charlene attended Sanford Business College, then embarked on a career in the civil service at Ft. Bragg, where she met and married the love of her life, James Henry Randolph III (Jim).

Together they raised four devoted children, Robbie Renee, Hillda Dawn, James Henry (IV) and Henry Anthony. Charlene took a brief break from her career to guide the children through their early years, then returned to Ft. Bragg, where she served with distinction in a number of budget-related positions and established many more lifelong friendships over a career that spanned more than three decades. Charlene was a dedicated Christian and lifelong member of Hillmon Grove Baptist Church. Her faith in Christ sustained and motivated her in every aspect of her life, and her love and kindness and myriad acts of service touched many lives. She began playing piano for worship services at a young age and continued to fill that role in a music ministry that spanned multiple generations.

In addition to music, Charlene contributed to the life of the Church in many other ways, including the Women’s Missionary Union, Vacation Bible School, Mission Friends, the Finance Committee and the Homecoming Committee, just to name a few. Over the course of Charlene’s many years of service in the youth and children’s programs, she became a virtual mom and grandmother to generations of church members and their children. Charlene was also an active member of the Johnsonville Ruritan Club for many years serving as a role model for community service. Charlene was an amazing mother to her four children. They loved her and she loved them and their spouses immeasurably.

Her skill in the kitchen was a source of joy and many wonderful memories. Sunday lunch was a highlight of every week, and as the children grew older, Charlene’s table more often than not extended its hospitality to include a wide array of friends and family. Christmastime meant another showcase for Charlene’s culinary prowess, with gifts of homebaked treats and confections lovingly prepared and delivered to friends and shut-ins throughout the community, and an intimate Christmas Eve gathering at Charlene and Jim’s house which grew and grew and eventually became a sacred family tradition not just for the Randolph’s but for dozens of families from Hillmon Grove and beyond. Birthdays and anniversaries mattered to Charlene, and she always made sure her children were properly celebrated with a party and a cake and time with their friends. She extended this practice well beyond family through her faithful lifelong ministry of marking significant occasions with personalized greeting cards. A few dear friends could count on one of her marvelous homemade carrot cakes each year on their birthday, and her oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the stuff of legend. Charlene and Jim brought cheer to countless community members with fresh cut flowers from their garden, and Charlene continued that flower ministry with her children and grandchildren’s help as long as her health allowed.

Charlene adored her six grandchildren, and she and Papa Jim cherished their annual trips to Emerald Isle with the entire family, where the grandchildren were treated to endless adventures, including fresh seafood dinners, ghost walks and trips into Beaufort for t-shirts every year. The fun continued throughout the year, as Charlene and Jim hosted the grandchildren for Easter egg hunts, birthday bonfires, sleepovers and the much-anticipated Christmas Eve gathering and gift exchange. She and Jim faithfully attended all manner of ballgames, concerts, other performances, and graduations. She remained a constant and loving presence in her grandchildren’s lives through her final days. Family was of the utmost importance to Charlene. She maintained a close lifelong friendship with her brother Terry, her sister Bonnie, her cousin Terzel and their families, and rarely a day passed without her calling to check on them.

Charlene was instrumental in coordinating the annual Stewart Family reunion for many, many years, and she was a faithful supporter of all her family members as they aged or encountered health challenges. And when her beloved husband Jim’s health began to fail, she devoted herself to his full-time care. In addition to her parents and her husband Jim, Charlene was preceded in death by her brother Terry Wayne Clark and her brother-in-law Dennis T. Fore, Jr. She is survived by her four children, Robbie Randolph, Dawn Streets (Dennis), Jimmy Randolph (Julie), and Henry Randolph (Glenda). Charlene’s optimistic spirit and commitment to a life of service lives on in the six grandchildren , Clark Streets (Kristina), Matt Streets, Jay Randolph (Haley), Hunter Randolph (Olivia), Meredith Randolph (Rachel) and Layne Randolph (Jackson). She also leaves behind her beloved sister Bonnie Fore and sister-in-law Becky Clark, cousins Terzel Brown and Tanya Clark, nephews Daniel “Danny” Clark, Dennis “Tim” Fore III, Randolph “Randy” Robida, and nieces Kristie Godfrey and Kathy Davis, as well as many other cherished cousins, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Charlene’s constant attention to the needs of others compelled her to a lifetime of simple, thoughtful actions that brought comfort to hurting hearts and smiles to countless faces. Those simple acts brought joy and meaning to her life, and will ensure that her memory will endure. On those occasions when Charlene found herself with a free moment, she might be found with a glass of sweet tea or a small bowl of ice cream, perusing a copy of Our State magazine in search of a new take on a traditional recipe, or a unique restaurant in some small out-of-the-way town where she and Jim could plan their next weekend adventure.

We encourage you to join us in celebrating Charlene’s legacy of service and her appreciation of life’s simple joys by cherishing time with family, trying a new recipe, penning a brief note to an old friend, or exploring the backroads of our state on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

A celebration of life will be held at Hillmon Grove Baptist Church on Saturday, April 18th at 3:00 p.m. with visitation beforehand from 2:00-2:45 in the sanctuary.

Memorials may be made to the Hillmon Grove Baptist Church Building Fund or a charity of your choice.

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