Randy Christopher Ploetz

Dr. Randy Christopher Ploetz was born on July 14, 1952, in Gastonia, North Carolina, where his father was a professional baseball player. He was the first child of Ronald Edward (1930-2022) and Nancy Ellen (nee Albus) Ploetz (1930-). Ronald and Nancy had three more children: Michael (1953-), Linda (1956-), and Chris (1965-). Randy spent his early childhood in Greenfield and New Berlin, Wisconsin, where he developed an appreciation for the natural world. The Ploetz family moved throughout the upper Midwest, following Ronald’s career as an electrician and plant engineer. Nancy dedicated her time to being a stay-at-home mother.

Randy grew up in a family that valued sports. He shared their love of sports, particularly for the Green Bay Packers. After completing his weekly chores, he enjoyed exploring the woods with his black Labrador retriever, Sam. Summers were often spent with his paternal grandmother, Lena Ploetz (nee Hoffman), in Coloma, Wisconsin, where she cultivated her garden and enjoyed the outdoors. The family experienced a significant challenge when Ronald suffered a near-fatal accident when Randy was eight years old; Ronald eventually recovered and returned to work.

Randy attended high school in Evansville, Indiana, where he lettered in Cross Country and developed a lifelong passion for running and track and field. He earned a B.S. in Forestry (1974) and an M.Sc. in Plant Pathology (1976) from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology (1984) from the University of Florida (UF). Following a postdoctoral position at the North Florida Research and Education Center (UF) in Quincy, Florida, he joined the Plant Pathology Department at the Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC), UF, in Homestead, Florida, in 1986. He was promoted to full professor in 1996 and retired as Emeritus Professor in 2018.

Randy married Julianne Nagel in 1986, and they had two daughters, Jill Nicole (1987-) and Kelly Ann (1990-). Although their marriage ended in 2004, Randy cherished his daughters, who are both good citizens of the world and share his love of nature.

Dr. Ploetz dedicated much of his career to researching diseases of tropical fruit crops. He made significant contributions to understanding the ecology, origins, and relatedness of the causal agents and the diseases they cause. He visited approximately 70 countries on consultancies, to speak at scientific meetings, and to advise students and research projects. He mentored 35 Ph.D. and 5 M.Sc. students, as well as 5 postdoctoral associates, in the United States and overseas. He was frequently interviewed regarding the impacts that diseases have on tropical crops, appearing on platforms such as the Discovery Channel, NPR Canada, Ira Flatow’s “Science Friday,” “Living on Earth,” and the “Diane Rehm Show” on NPR. His expertise was also featured in publications including Popular Science, Scientific American, The New Yorker, Quartz/Atlantic magazine, The Independent, CNBC, and various other print and online media outlets. Dr. Ploetz received the UF Research Foundation Professorship Award in 2004, and the American Phytopathological Society’s (APS) Excellence in International Service Award in 2008, and the APS Fellow Award in 2017.

Randy met Michelle Lanea Ploetz (nee Riddle) in 2012, and they were married in 2017. Michelle has two sons from a prior marriage, Jeffery Alexander and Paxton Andrew Thomas. Randy loved his stepsons, sharing a love of music with Alex and a love of exercise with Pax. Together, they enjoyed their blended family, world travel, and an active lifestyle.

Until 2022, Randy was an avid cyclist and naturalist in Homestead, where he cultivated a tropical garden. He and Michelle moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to be closer to her sons and away from the hurricane threat of South Florida. Prior to the move, he had shown signs of neurodegenerative disease and was diagnosed with Parkinsonism in May 2022, five months after their relocation. Following a consultation with the Mayo Clinic in February 2023, his diagnosis was changed to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Randy entered hospice care at home in August 2023, where he remained until his passing on February 20, 2025.

In loving memory of Randy, we are collecting donations to support his wonderful caregivers, Umu-Hawa Jalloh and Aretha Machipisha. They provided him with exceptional care and compassion, and we would like to honor their dedication by covering two weeks of their pay. Please click  https://tinyurl.com/InmemoryofRandy for more information.

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