Randall J Feinberg Sr. Of Southampton Dies July 12

Randall J Feinberg Sr. of Southampton died on July 12. He was 70.

Mr. Feinberg was the second son of Harold and Margaret Feinberg of Layton Avenue in Southampton. He was only 2 ½ lbs at birth, according to his family, and the chances of surviving at that time was far less than it is today. But he was fortunate to prosper and was finally able to leave the hospital. His father would kiddingly say that he brought him home in a shoe box, his family recalled.

Mr. Feinberg went to Sacred Hearts School for his elementary education, and graduated from Southampton High School in 1968. He also was in the first class of BOCES in Riverhead for mechanics during his senior year of high school and shortly after attended Vale Tech in Blairsville, Pennsylvania, where he studied auto body collision repair and painting.

He had a natural talent with cars, his family said, even as a child. No matter what condition they were in, he always had a unique vision of what a vehicle “could” look like, they said. He had a gift of knowing how to artfully spray the paint onto the vehicle and it would come out looking as smooth as glass. He took pride in anything he repaired, whether it was a farm truck or a brand new Mercedes Benz, his family recalled.

He first started out using an area in one of his father’s potato barns, and practicing on his own vehicles and his father’s work trucks. He then went on to rent a building on the north highway, opening up Randall’s Auto Collision in 1971.

He quickly began to enjoy a reputation for excellent and consistent professional work, his family said. Six years later he bought a lot and built an auto body shop on David Whites Lane. At that time, he needed to expand and add on an area to accommodate larger vehicles. He was then able to paint local fire trucks to help keep them parade ready.

Mr. Feinberg was a Southampton firefighter for 11 years. He was a collector of antiques in many areas, furniture, paintings, pedal cars, tractor seats, and hard to find parts for cars he bought to restore.

He could often be seen at car shows in Hershey, Carlisle, and Atlantic City, enjoying the easy going atmosphere of other collectors who wound up also becoming his friends.

Mr. Feinberg grew up to have a voice that echoed his father’s, and a generous heart for helping others, which was the key to his success, his family said. In helping his father, he would close down the auto body shop two months a year to help plant, irrigate and farm potatoes.

He is survived by his sons, Randall Jr. of Orangeburg, New York, John (the current proprietor of Randall’s Auto Collision) of East Quogue, Justin of Kildeer, Illinois, and his daughter Allison of Southampton. He is also survived by seven grandchildren; two brothers, Ron of Miller Place, and Harold Jr. of Mullins, South Carolina; and his sister Margaret Kaiser of Northville, New York.

His family noted that Mr. Feinberg’s greatest treasure was his children and grandchildren: He loved them very much and would do anything for them. He will be greatly missed, his family said.