Randy Christmas

Randy Christmas
1943 military portrait of Christmas
28th Mayor of Miami
In office 1955–1957
Preceded by	Abe Aronovitz
Succeeded by	Robert King High
Member of the Miami City Commission
In office 1953–1955
Personal details
Born	(1920-10-14)October 14, 1920 Ocilla, Georgia, U.S.
Died	July 27, 1969(1969-07-27) (aged 48) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Spouse	Joyce Lorraine Eloise Ronzheimer Potter
Alma mater	University of Miami Law School
Occupation	Attorney, politician
Military service
Branch/service	U.S. Marine Corps
Battles/wars	World War II Pacific Theater

Randall Norton Christmas (October 14, 1920 – July 27, 1969) was an American politician and attorney who served as the 28th mayor of Miami from 1955 to 1957.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Christmas was born on October 14, 1920, in Ocilla, Georgia, In 1926, the Christmas family relocated to Miami. The sixth of seven siblings, Christmas began working as a young boy delivering the Miami Herald.

He attended Edison High School, where he graduated in 1938. Christmas served with the U.S. Marine Corps VMB443 in a B-25 bomber in the Pacific Theater during World War II, where he met and became acquainted with George Smathers, later a U.S. Senator from Florida. As a student at the University of Miami in 1948, he became a charter member of the Beta Delta chapter of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. In 1951, Randall graduated from the University of Miami School of Law.

Career

Christmas served on the Miami City Commission from 1953 to 1955.

Christmas served as mayor from 1955 to 1957, having been elected in 1955. He was the first to hold Miami's current (directly-elected) office of mayor (previous mayors had been appointed from the city commission). In 1956, he appeared in the beginning of the movie Miami Exposé.

Christmas later served as an Assistant State's Attorney from 1960 to 1964, and then as an attorney private practice until his death.^[3]

Death

Christmas died July 27, 1969.

He is interred at Southern Memorial Cemetery in North Miami Beach, Florida. Merrie Christmas Park in the Coconut Grove section of Miami is named for Christmas' daughter, Merrie, who died at age 15 in 1969.^[4]

See also

• List of mayors of Miami
• Government of Miami
• History of Miami
• Timeline of Miami

References

1. TCM
2. Pbase.com
3. "Do you wonder what happened?". Vol. 1. Miami Herald. April 4, 1961. p. 32.
4. "Merrie Christmas Dead". Miami Herald. March 24, 1969. Retrieved November 7, 2025.

External links

• Randy Christmas at Find a Grave

Political offices
Preceded by Abe Aronovitz	Mayor of the City of Miami 1955–1957	Succeeded by Robert King High