Donald Lavern Ranson of Queen Creek, AZ, formerly of Warrenton, VA, passed away on January, 1, 2017 from complications of Frontotemporal Degeneration or FTDbv. He was born October 6, 1944 in Ann Arbor, Michigan to his late parents Twilla Bergman Ranson and William Wesley Ranson.
Don loved the outdoors enjoying canoeing, hiking, camping and time at the beach with friends and family. Don also loved sports including golf, volleyball, softball, football and basketball. Springtime found him attending the NCAA Final Four tournaments with his brothers, Bob and Dale; fall was reserved for college football and often found him in University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium cheering on Cavalier football. Don is survived by his wife of 27 years, Diane Zarr Ranson; his daughters, Elizabeth Marie Beach (Greg) of Reston, VA, and Angela Marie Fanzo (Jeff) of Queen Creek, AZ.; granddaughters Lillian Grace Fanzo, Sydney Harper Fanzo and Quinn Annabelle Fanzo; his siblings Barbara Bos (Dale), Marilyn Williams (Don), Robert Ranson (Phyllis), Pamela Sietsema (Carl) and Dale Ranson (Karon); and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Mountain View Funeral Home & Cemetery, Mesa, AZ Friday, January 6, 2017 at 11:00 am. A gathering to honor Mr. Ranson will be held in Warrenton, VA at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), Radnor Station Building 2, Suite 320, 290 King of Prussia Road, Radnor, PA 19087, The Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Stead Family Memory Center, 901 E. Willetta St., Phoenix, AZ 85006, or Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E Flower St, Phoenix, AZ 85014.
I love you dad. Miss you.
Heartfelt sympathy to Diane, Angie, Beth and all of his family and faithful friends. We remember Don as a friendly, happy, and outgoing adventurer. He was a gentle man who lit up the room with his smile. Dale fondly remembers his time with Don on the boat on Lake Roosevelt and how he loved the speed and freedom of it. He always loved watching and playing with his little granddaughters as they loved playing with Grandpa. We miss you Don. RIP
My condolences to the family! We are praying for you in this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace.
It’s the little things, the small, everyday occurrences that you’ll remember. The laughs, the stories, the smiles. And even though it seems like you can never recover from your loss, it is these very memories that will help push the pain away and bring back the smiles.
Our sincere sympathy on your loss of Don. May the many wonderful memories sustain you during this time.