UC Leaders Mourn Heady’s Passing

Leaders across the Upper Cumberland grieving the loss of Jackson County Mayor Randy Heady.

Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster said he and three other county mayors visited Heady Saturday night to share their love and say goodbye. Foster said Heady’s passing is devastating for the whole region.

“He was just very passionate about his community,” Foster said. “And he didn’t do it for himself. He didn’t want to be the mayor for himself. That’s the last thing anybody that understands the job would do. He was doing it for the people. He was in it for the right reasons. He was just truly a good, good man.”

UCDD Executive Director Mark Farley said Heady was a dedicated advocate of Tennessee’s rural communities at the state and federal levels. Farley said Heady was the type who never met a stranger and naturally rose to the top of every room he was in.

“Randy is one of those, you know, he could talk to the governor, he could talk to the president, it didn’t matter,” Farley said. “He was going to get his point across in a way that they left each other on friendly terms and with mutual respect. And that’s a tough thing to do. Randy had that gift of standing up for what he believed in.”

White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said he does not know if Jackson County will ever be able to find someone who cares about that community and the Upper Cumberland as much as Heady did. Robinson said the main reason why Heady was such a good leader was because of how much he cared.

“He wanted to improve the things in Jackson County and the Upper Cumberland and he didn’t care to ask for help,” Robinson said. “He didn’t think he knew it all and that was, that’s just a good characteristic for a leader is to know when you need help. And he knew when he needed help and he got it and just made the whole system work better.”

Foster said Heady went out of his way to make relationships with local, state, and federal leaders for the betterment of Jackson County. Foster said Heady worked very hard and that work continues to pay off even after Heady has passed away.

Foster said he and the other county leaders that visited Saturday had formed an extremely tight-knit friend group that included Heady.

“We just wanted to make sure Randy knew we loved him and cared for him like he did for us,” Foster said. “He was there with me when my wife passed away last April and so you don’t get many friends like that in this lifetime and you want to make sure they know you love them when you do.”

Robinson said they stayed with Heady until around 10:00pm on Saturday night. Robinson said being able to stay goodbye allowed them to make peace with the situation as best as they could.

Robinson said the next Jackson County Mayor should follow in Heady’s footsteps and ask for help whenever they find themselves unsure about a situation. Foster said Heady’s successor will have to work hard because Heady is leaving big shoes to fill.

“Any new mayor coming in has to chart their own path,” Farley said. “But the path that Randy had laid out over the last several years is putting Jackson County in a right trajectory.”