George Randall “Randy” McGill, age 74, of Rome, GA, passed away on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. He went out just the way he wanted: on top.
How do you write about a man who was larger than life? A walking contradiction.
He was a soft heart and a hard-ass. A construction man who read Vogue. An Old Testament dad but a New Testament Granddaddy. Sharp-tongued, quick-witted, and a man of his word. But he could quote the words of the Lord better than most preachers. Man, that preacher hair. People would compliment it daily. Tell him he should be in a Viagra ad. He was vain, but rightfully so. He was as beautiful on the outside as he was on the inside.
He was completely self-made and then made it his mission to help others find their way, too. He was a mentor to many. In the past few days, there have been many calls from crying men saying he was like a father to them, that he shaped the course of their lives. The president of Holder Construction used the word legacy twice in one short call. And perhaps that’s the word for it.
The accolades, accomplishments, and skyscrapers he put into the Atlanta skyline are impressive. More on those later. But for his family, his legacy is much simpler.
He still bought his wife of 47 years flowers. A vase sits full right now. They were best friends and did everything—and nothing—together. They could often be found sharing scaffolding or a can of paint. Working was his hobby. With his wife on one side, a tool in hand, and his Bluetooth speaker blasting the blues, he couldn’t have been happier.
We are grateful to have had him as long as we did. But our hearts break for the grandchildren who won’t have him cheering from the sidelines of their lives. Hugging the little ones. Encouraging the bigger boys, but also telling them their swing was too slow, their stance too narrow. His opinions were known.
But so was his love. He never let us wonder if he loved us. He told us constantly. That wasn’t the upbringing he got to enjoy. He more than broke that cycle. He shattered it.
Randy is survived by his wife, Anita Dempsey McGill; his three children, Miranda Bagley (Ben), Matt McGill (Shelley Ely), and Mike McGill (Kathleen); four grandchildren, George Bagley, Will Bagley, Sutton McGill, and Mack McGill; his brother, Greg Mitchell; his half-sisters, Christy Parker, Edith Hall, and Vicki Owens and his favorite uncle, Tommy McGill. And many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members.
Randy was born in Rome, GA, on May 22, 1952, the son of the late Leroy “Bud” McGill and the late Dorothy “Dot” Marie Clark Mitchell. He was also preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Annie and Jesse Clark, and his paternal grandparents, Alice and Tom McGill.
Randy was a graduate of East Rome High School and Berry College. He spent more than 42 years as a superintendent with Holder Construction Company before his retirement.
During that time, he worked on projects across the Southeast, including the Rome Forum. He can be credited with helping build much of the Atlanta skyline, including Atlanta City Hall, One Midtown Plaza, Two Midtown Plaza, Three Ravinia, The Mansion/Waldorf Astoria, and the Cox Enterprises Tower, as well as data centers for BlackBerry, Facebook, and ADP.
His projects were delivered on time or early, and at or under budget. No matter how many people suffered. And make no mistake, some suffered. Some were fired. Randy demanded perfection, and he wasn’t particularly interested in sugarcoating it.
But for every story about his impossible standards, there seems to be another about what happened because of them. He didn’t merely touch a lot of lives. He changed them.
Randy built a lot in 74 years. Buildings. Careers. Friendships. A family. And one hell of a legacy.
A celebration of Randy’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Taylor Estates.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, South Chapel, is honored to serve the family of George Randall “Randy” McGill
