Randall (Randy) Gustafson, age 78, of Hays, Kansas, passed away August 11, 2026, at his home in Hays. He was born in Sidney, Nebraska, on November 11, 1947, to Bob and Hilda Gustafson of Dix, Nebraska. He grew up on the family farm and attended Dix Public Schools, where he was an academic standout as a National Merit Scholar and a sports standout, lettering in football, basketball, and track and field.
After briefly attending the University of Kansas School of Architecture, he began working for Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, with its Management Sciences Division, which was managing the construction of the international airport and sports complex under contract with Kansas City. He then became a construction management consultant for a brief time and taught construction management at Finlay Engineering College in Kansas City before embarking on what would become his career in city management.
In February 1970, he became the first City Manager of Bonner Springs, Kansas, where he also met and married his wife, Cindy. This began a career in city management that spanned more than 30 years, with positions in Aurora, Missouri; Sterling, Colorado; and Hays, Kansas, with a brief hiatus to return to the family farm when his father became ill.
He was a member of numerous organizations, including the Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado associations of city management. He was a life member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), from which he received its highest professional award for excellence in 1999.
He continued his education, earning degrees in public administration. He was a member of Mensa and was listed in various Who’s Who publications, including Who’s Who in the West, Who’s Who in the Midwest, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World, among others. He served on numerous boards, including two terms as a member of the Board of the Colorado Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA).
He was an avid reader, reading a book a day for more than 55 years. He was also an avid trapshooter, competing in tournaments in numerous states, as well as at the national tournament numerous times. He was a life member of the ATA, the KTA, and the Hays City Sportsmen’s Club. He characterized his trapshooting career and abilities by telling everyone that he was “a good shooter, but a poor hitter.”
He was preceded in death by his wife, Cindy, in 2023. He is survived by his sister, Gayleen Schmitt of Oshkosh, Nebraska.
At his request, there will be no service.
Cremation is under the direction of Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory – Brock’s Chapel, 2509 Vine Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.
Memories and words of comfort may be shared on Randy’s tribute page at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com