Earlier this week, we learned that Randy Loftis, the founder and former head of Constangy’s office in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and former head of our firm’s Litigation Practice Group, died at the age of 76 after suffering a stroke.

I first met Randy in 1986 or 1987, when I was a second-year law student at Wake Forest University looking for a summer associate position. Randy, and one or two other partners from his general practice firm, interviewed me. I didn’t work for Randy at all that summer, but I was offered and accepted an associate job with the firm for after graduation. The next summer, while I was agonizing over my BARBRI materials in preparation to take the bar exam, the harvest gold landline rotary dial phone in my kitchen rang. I got up, answered the phone, and it was Randy, asking whether I would join his Labor and Employment Practice Group. That was one of my primary areas of interest, so I said yes on the spot. (It made the rest of my bar prep a lot less stressful!)

I started working for Randy and his law partner, Penni Pearson Bradshaw, in 1989. I learned so much from them both. I tagged along with Randy to depositions, meetings with clients, and jury and non-jury trials. For better or worse, just about everything I know, I learned from him.

In 1991, he decided to leave our old law firm and join Constangy, Brooks & Smith (no “Prophete” in the name at that time). When he asked me to come along, I didn’t have to think twice. He asked Penni, too, but she decided to stay put . . . for a little while.

During his time at Constangy – from 1991 until 2021, when he retired – Randy was a mentor, an example, and a friend. He supported me through some very difficult personal times, and did the same for many others. He was an outstanding lawyer, and to this day I will catch myself using the expression, “Well, Randy always taught me . . .” (preceding something brilliant, of course).

During his time as head of Constangy’s Winston-Salem Office, Randy was primarily responsible for recruiting, in alphabetical order, Ken Carlson, Terry Clark, John Doyle, Kristine Sims (our current office head), Jill Stricklin, and Jon Yarbrough (no longer with our firm, but still a dear friend). And, of course, Penni, who to our delight, finally caved and joined Constangy in the mid-aughts, becoming head of our Immigration Practice Group.

Randy also started our affiliation with workers’ compensation attorneys Mark Leach and Barbara Ruark.

In his personal life, Randy was married for 30-some years to Lea Loftis, who died in 2021. Together they had four children – Randy III, Allison, Eli, and Dana – and six grandchildren. Randy lived in Winston-Salem, but his true love was Morganton, the town where he grew up. He spent just about every weekend there, in a beautiful log home with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Our condolences to Randy's family. And thank you, Randy.