Ira Randall

Ira Randall was born January 19th, 1915, in New Jersey. At 16, he started work for his father at Rabin Glove, Co., in Jersey City, New Jersey. At 22 he started his own glove company, Continental Glove, in New York. In 1948, he moved his family to Florida and started Abbott Mills, an industrial supply Company. He sold the company in 1958, moved to Cuernavaca Mexico, and started Pappagallo Shoe Company. He came west to California in 1962 where he started Glovers Mills, an industrial Glove Distributor, based in Sherman Oaks, selling to Industrial and Aerospace accounts throughout Southern California. He took his son, Jim, on as a partner in 1966. After moving back to Florida in 1968, he started Glovers Mills, Florida. In 1971, Glovers Mills California bought Allfast , a rivet manufacturing company. Ira retired in 1975, but remained an advisor to Jim up until the end. He was an astute investor and an avid reader, reading up to 5 books a week until his passing. At one time he owned a world-class stamp collection. He loved to travel and had been all over the world, although he carried a special fondness for Monaco, Marbella, and Mexico. His love for books lead him to donate a collection of first editions by Sir Richard Francis Burton and Aldous Huxley, to the University of Miami. While living in Mexico, he collected the art of Diego Rivera and Siqueiros and when he left, he donated his collection to the University of Mexico. He was married three times; Shirley Fletcher, (d), Shirley Kaler, divorced, and Sharon Ballard(d.) Ira has spent the last 13 years living with his son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Eleanor Randall, in Bradbury Ca. He is survived by his sisters, Gerry and Terry, his ex-wife, Shirley; nine children; Dale, Helen, Jim, Irene, Steven, Anne, Shereld, Max, and Ira; 18 grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren. He was a unique, highly intelligent, eccentric man who will be missed by all. He died peacefully at home surrounded by family.