There was a saying in the Randall family home on Las Flores Beach, “Don’t complain unless you’re willing to make things better. If you complain, fix it.” To this day, Carol Randall lives by this.
When Carol Herbst married Carl Randall, in 1962, he’d already been renting the house for a few years. As a freelance writer and journalist, the “live and let live” mentality of the area suited Carl well.
The couple bought the house from their landlord and raised two children, Carl and Julie. Their beach life was happy and idyllic.
In 2002, after 38 years of happy marriage, with the kids grown and married themselves, Carl Randall died at the age of 83.
Their daughter Julie and her husband, Mark Osborn, came back to Malibu from their home in Germany for the funeral. The family loved Mark and considered him their son. As they all mourned their patriarch, Mark, 32, put out the trash and was struck by a distracted driver on PCH. Mark’s funeral took place the day after Carl Randall’s.
Hundreds of people attended Carl’s funeral. Mark’s was smaller and more somber.
“The Malibu community stepped up to the plate to help us by catering and hosting the funerals,” Carol said. The younger Carl Randall, now 47, recalled, “We were walking zombies after Mark was killed.”
In accordance with the Randall house saying, it was then that Carol made a promise to do all she could to make PCH safer. Now, at the age of 80, this Malibu matriarch is on a committee, addressing ways to make this notorious road less dangerous. She says she’s happy with many of the consulting firm’s recommendations. She can’t discuss the report until it’s published officially, but it has some simple advice for drivers, including “Slow down!”
Even before the start of Carol’s PCH crusade, the Randalls had a history of helping the Malibu community. The Randall parents were both very active in their children’s schools and spent ample time volunteering. Carol became PTA president at Webster Elementary and when she went back to work, Carl became PTA president at Malibu Junior High.
When their children were in preschool, the Randalls regularly invited kids and parents to their house, some 40 people, to explore the beach at low tide. The couple provided lunch for everyone.
“That was so much fun,” Carol recalled. “My husband felt very strongly that children should grow up knowing what’s in the ocean and that they should protect it.”
Both were active in the Malibu Township Council. Carol served on the board as an elected official; Carl was administrator for five years. They were there when Malibu became a city in 1990, and Carol has since organized the 10th and 20th anniversary celebrations.
Carol also served on the Malibu Planning Commission for four years and the Little League board. She won a Malibu Times Dolphin Award in 2004 and was Sheila Kuehl’s Woman of the Year in 2007 for all of her work in the community.
There is another issue Carol would like resolved, something she and her late husband have tried to achieve since the ’70s: for Malibu to have its own school district.
Carol’s son, following his parent’s footsteps in helping the community, has taken up that initiative and believes it will happen. Carl is Webster School’s AMPS (Advocates for Malibu Public Schools) liaison. AMPS is the driving force behind the separation of school districts.
Carl also serves on Malibu’s Parks and Recreation Commission. He and his wife, Shelley, volunteer at their daughter Callie’s school (Webster) and host town hall meetings in their home where neighbors can meet candidates running for Council. They have a separate apartment under Carol’s house.
Inspired by his parents, Carl believes everyone has a responsibility to be of service to their community.
“You do your bit and then help somebody else do theirs,” Carl shared.
Carl’s daughter, Callie Randall, 10, is already doing her part to extend the Randalls’ legacy in Malibu. She picks up trash from the beach and helps rescue injured animals. She chose to spend her 10th birthday by her father’s side as he spoke at a City Council meeting.
“I think it’s pretty awesome that you can tell the people who run the City what you think about things,” said Callie.
