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Elgin homeless man dies 'after getting everything he wanted'

In the end, Randy Haslett got what he wanted - if just for a few months.

Haslett, who had been homeless in Elgin, died Nov. 11 at age 63 of colon cancer after moving into his own apartment last summer.

"Sometimes he was stubborn," said Elgin police social worker JoAnn Stingley, who worked with the mental health agency Ecker Center to help Haslett secure housing. "But when he decided to make a change in his life, he did that."

One of Haslett's favorite sayings was, "Who it is, what it was and what it shall be," said the Rev. Greg Schiller, who lead a memorial service attended by about 20 people, several of them homeless, Friday at Lighthouse Community Church in Elgin.

No matter how tough life got, Haslett was unfailingly joyful, Schiller said."Through all of his struggles, the man was smiling all the time."

Schiller heads The Matthew 25:40 Ministry, whose goal is to open a permanent shelter in Elgin for what Schiller calls the "hard-core" homeless, such as people with violent criminal backgrounds or those under the influence of drugs or alcohol, who are not allowed to stay at PADS, Elgin's main homeless shelter. The initiative has a GoFundMe page that has raised just $900 since August, out of an ambitious $1 million goal. Schiller said there's been interest from two groups in Elgin that might be willing to donate buildings to house the shelter.

Schiller said he got to know Haslett while running a temporary shelter out of a downtown church the last two winters. Although Haslett often showed up inebriated, he never caused any trouble, Schiller said.

"He was one of the very few I never had any kind of problem with," he said. "He was always jovial, no matter what. And for that, we can all take that example and use it in our lives."

Randy Gaede, who is homeless, said he and Haslett spent time together on the streets of Elgin for about two years. "We were staying under the same bush, so to speak," he said. "He was always joking and kidding around."

Haslett is survived by a brother in Algonquin and a sister in Georgia, Schiller said.

He was born in Canada and worked as a meat cutter early on, said his friend Ed Hart of Elgin. He later worked for a temp agency near downtown Elgin but stopped after the agency moved; he also traded aluminum cans for money at a local scrap yard, Hart said.

"He loved to joke around and he loved his music," Hart said.

Haslett lived in the basement of Brenda Turner's house in Elgin for eight years until 2012, first as a temporary arrangement when he lost his apartment and eventually becoming a friend to her and her husband, Turner said.

He didn't pay rent but always was eager to help with tasks like taking out the garbage and shoveling the driveway, and loved to decorate the Christmas tree, Turner said. "He was a wonderful person," she said. "He just had a good heart."

Haslett moved out when city code enforcement officials told the Turners no one could live in the basement, Turner said. After undergoing cancer surgery about two years ago, he stayed on the Turners' couch for a little while, but that turned out to be unsustainable so he moved out again, Turner said. "I will miss him. He was my friend," she said.

It's frustrating that Haslett's life came to an end just when he was experiencing a new beginning, said Hope Hart, Ed Hart's wife.

"I feel he lost," she said, "after getting everything he wanted."

  A box containing Randy Haslett's ashes is surrounded by pictures and a memorial in his honor. Elena Ferrarin/eferrarin@dailyherald.com
  Elgin Pastor Greg Schiller, from left, Brenda Turner, Ed Hart and Hope Hart talk about their friend, Randy Haslett, after his memorial service Friday in Elgin. Elena Ferrarin/eferrarin@dailyherald.com
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