Ronald George Ranson

Ronald George Ranson Sr., 92, a resident of Whittier since 1957, died peacefully at his home February 4, 2011 after a brief illness.Born in Ogden, Utah in 1918 to George and Eathel Ranson, Ron was the loving husband of Mildred Ranson for 59 1/2 years. Mildred passed away in 1999. Ron leaves his children Ron Ranson Jr. of Leucadia, California; Richard P. Ranson of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Judith Sanders of La Habra, California.Additional survivors include his 7 grandchildren, Matthew, Andrew, Aubrey, Timothy and Clay Ranson and Marisa and Kenneth Sanders; his son-in-law Joseph Sanders of La Habra, daughters-in-law Donna Park Ranson of Colorado Springs, and Nicola Ranson of Leucadia. Ron has 6 great-grandchildren (Briseida, Gabriel, Kaya, Noah, Landry and Rosalind) and a large extended family. Ron attended Ogden High School and upon graduation hitch-hiked to California to find work in the depression years. During the war years he worked at the Standard Oil refinery in El Segundo. He went on to be the Director of Building and Grounds for the El Segundo Unified School District. Ron and his family moved to Whittier in 1957 when he became the Director of Building and Grounds for the Whittier City School District. He was a master craftsman in wood and metal and could make or repair just about anything. This past Fall he built a series of wooden rocking horses for his great-grandchildren from the same design he created when he built the first ones 34 years ago for his grandchildren.He only missed a couple of days of work in his life time.Ron was fond of: any kind of rail transportation (his father was a train engineer in Utah), a good piece of pie, chicken fried steak, roast beef, root beer floats, his roses and flowers of all varieties, a good movie, musical theatre, satellite music channels, the music of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, poetry, books, a good cup of coffee, fresh corn-on-the-cob, dogs, tamales, homemade chili, cling peaches on his cereal, his cars and trucks. He loved figuring out things. In these last few years he was frustrated when he had outlived the 'lifetime' warranties of many of his appliances and tools. While living in Whittier, Ron and Mildred spent many memorable years traveling the United States in their trailer. Both were active members of the Christian Character Builders' Sunday school class of the Whittier First United Methodist Church and he continued to be active at the church until the end. He was also an active participant of the Whittier YMCA's Travel Club and enjoyed the programs and travel opportunities with the group. During the 60th anniversary year of the D-Day landings in Europe he made a trip of a lifetime to visit the key invasion beaches of France. He placed a memorial wreath on the grave of his next door neighbor from Utah who was killed on D-Day. In 2010, together with his friend Virginia La Bare, he fulfilled his desire to cruise through the Panama Canal. He was, at all times, a gentleman.A memorial service will be held at 1 PM on Sunday February 13, 2011 at the Whittier First United Methodist Church.In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Memorial Fund of the Whittier First United Methodist Church, 13222 Bailey Street, Whittier CA, 90601. Phone (562) 698-0022.Please leave a note for the family on the White Emerson Memorialization website.