Randall Dighton
Randall Dighton, husband, father, grandfather, and dear friend passed away on June 30 after a short illness, while a resident at Heritage Manor in hospice care. His life is a testament to an exceptional man who brought extraordinary light into this world.
Randall was born on May 29, 1946, in Los Angeles, and after high school graduation he attended Chapman University and majored in music and math. At Chapman, Randall was a member of the Madrigal Singers, a group of 12 singers who, at one point, toured and performed in Europe.
Randall was drafted into the Army and took his rightful place as an entertainer for the troops. While in the Army he also learned to knit, a skill that he used to teach returning veterans who had mangled and damaged hands.
Upon discharge, Randall became employed by the Gallo Wine Company designing wine bottle labels. He also entertained at Gallo Wine gatherings. He married his first wife, Kate, and had three children. Disney soon discovered Randall, which led to him and his family moving to Orlando. He worked as a British troubadour for the Country of Britain at EPCOT, a position he held for eight years. After his stint at EPCOT, he and his family relocated to Modesto, Calif., where he returned to work at the Gallo Wine Company but a divorce soon followed.
Randall began performing at Scottish games, renaissance fairs, and international festivals, where he met the love of his life Linda (Carroll), a claims representative with the Social Security Administration, who had two sons.
Randall and Linda married in March 1997 and eventually moved to Paradise, Calif., where he was associated with several groups, including directing the Mountain Ridge Singers and the Jolly Beggars Scottish Band. Sadly, Randall and Linda lost their home and all of their possessions in the devastating 2018 Paradise fire that killed 85 people, including Linda’s beloved mother.
Randall and Linda occasionally were snowbirds in Oro Valley, and friends who live there invited Randall and Linda to stay with them. Randall and Linda discovered the SaddleBrooke community where they decided to move in 2019. Two years later, they formed the Catalina Chorale, which grew to more than 30 members. The Chorale would perform at memory care units, assisted living facilities, as well as at other venues.
Randall was also dedicated to the Masonic Lodge, where he progressed through the elected or appointed line of officers, and was ultimately elected by the members of the Lodge to become a Master Mason. He was also a big supporter of the Shriners.
Randall had so many talents (he had a repertoire of over 400 songs)—he played the guitar and the lute, he knitted, and he was an excellent calligrapher, a craft he developed while working at the Gallo Wine Company.
In 1972 Randall became a member of the Bahá’í Faith and, in Linda’s words—Randall lived a life practicing the tenets of the Faith, which teaches: the unity of God, the unity of all religions, and the oneness of all humanity.
Randall is survived by his wife Linda, and children Garth, Aerynn, Crystal, and Shawn.
Those wishing to make a donation in Randall’s name may do so by giving to Shriners Hospitals for Children (a.k.a. Shriners Children’s):
shrinerschildrens.org/en/ways-to-give/account-center/support-center
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
(Gaelic for may he rest in peace)
Jolene Morris Walden
Jolene Morris Walden, 92, a matriarch forged in the crucible of American history, died peacefully on Aug. 3, 2026, in Fresno, California. Born on Dec. 29, 1933, in Welty, Oklahoma, the black blizzards of the Dust Bowl choked her earliest breaths. At just 3 years old, she and her family fled the devastated Plains, embarking on a grueling migration to California directly mirroring the heartbreak and hunger of The Grapes of Wrath. Until she was 9, a fragile canvas tent in Salinas bound her world amid exhausting rows of seasonal crops her family fought to harvest just to survive. Poverty and constant displacement stripped her of a proper formal education, but they could not break her spirit. Amid hardship, Jolene built a fortress of self-reliance, transforming a childhood of struggle into a lifetime of fierce independence, profound service, deep faith, and boundless unconditional love. She was the last survivor of her original childhood traveling party.
In 1949, she met Navy service member Jack O’Neal Walden. They eloped and married on July 4, 1950, beginning a loving 75-year marriage. They raised four children—Janet, Jack Jr., Kaye, and Jill—primarily in Sunnyvale, California. Jolene later worked for 12 years at Fairchild Semiconductor. She was highly active in the Grotto women’s auxiliary organization of the Masons.
Her husband Jack, who passed away in early 2025, was a business owner, inventor, and a dedicated leader within the Masonic fraternities. The couple retired to SaddleBrooke in 1995 where they became pillars and active members of the community. They co-founded the monthly “Desert and Discussion” forum, an organization that still flourishes.
Throughout her life, Jolene was a deeply dedicated mother, mother figure to her siblings, and a devoted wife. She filled her home with a passion for music, arts and crafts, and delicious food. SaddleBrooke neighbors always enjoyed their gifts of home baked cookies from Jolene. She loved to dance. Following Jack’s death, she moved to Fresno, California, to be closer to her family. She is lovingly survived by her two siblings, Jewel and George; her four children; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
No formal memorial service will be held.