April 19, 1929 ~ October 12, 2004

Funeral services for Ronald were Saturday October 16, 2004 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder-Day Saints, 2801 N. 4th St., Coeur d'Alene, ID. Burial with full military honors followed the service at Forest Cemetery, Coeur d'Alene. Visitation was Friday at the English Funeral Chapel, Coeur d'Alene, ID.

Ron Rankin was born on Patriot's Day, April 19, 1929, in Tulsa, Okla., to Ralph R. and Ruth (Fletcher) Rankin. He died Oct. 12, 2004, on Columbus Day, in Coeur d'Alene.

As a child, Ron moved with his family to California in 1934, and attended schools there, including Brown Military Academy in San Diego. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1946 and shipped out to the Philippines, and was stationed at Subic Bay U.S. Naval Base. Ron boxed middle-weight and was runner-up in the South Pacific Fleet Championships in 1947.

After his discharge in 1948, he met and married his sweetheart, the former Alice (Mimi) George of Huntington Park, Calif.

In 1950, Ron enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves, just before he was activated on July 29, 1950, and shipped out August 18 for Korea, leaving behind his wife and 7-month-old daughter. Ron saw combat at the Inchon Landing and continued on to the liberation of Seoul, heading north to the Chosin Reservoir Campaign. After surviving 100,000 Red Chinese, he was discharged as a corporal in San Diego on July 12, 1951.

While residing in Anaheim and La Habra, Calif., Ron was active in state Republican Party politics, and also served as a manager of the Business Department of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. He was active in the Rotary Club.

In 1965, he moved his family, then totaling five children and his wife, to Coeur d'Alene.

Preceded in death by his parents, Ron is survived by his wife of 55 years, Alice; daughters Lynne Rankin, Heber City, Utah, Kerri and Bert Thoreson, Post Falls, Janna and Rick Scharf, Fort Collins, Colo., Ronna and Kerry Park, Blackfoot; son Ralph R. Rankin II, Los Angeles, who also served in the Marine Corps in Subic Bay. Ron also is survived by his brother, Robert W. Rankin, and wife Betty of Paulsbo, Wash.; 19 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

While living in Coeur d'Alene, Ron was active in politics but also was a logger and ran reforestation crews throughout Washington and Montana.

In 1996, he was elected Kootenai County Commissioner and served two terms from January 1997 through January 2003.

During that time, he had a vision to build a veterans memorial plaza between the old courthouse and the new building, which had just recently been completed.

Ron began to raise money from private individuals for the three flagpoles and dedicatory stone continuing on to the black marble "Killed In Action" monument at the door, the 13 wall panels of battle scenes from history, and the Hall of Heroes/Medal of Valor recipients and Purple Heart Honor Roll that hang in the foyer of the building.

Upon his retirement, the commissioners presented Ron with a marble plaque dedicating the Veterans Memorial Plaza in his name, passing a resolution naming him "Curator for Life." Ron considered this memorial to veterans as his legacy.

He was honored to receive the Lt. George Farragut Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution State and National Community Service Award for his work on behalf of veterans, as well as the Military Order of the Purple Heart Distinguished Service Award, and the Kootenai County Veterans Council Award for Service.

A life member and founding Judge Advocate of the Pappy Boyington Detachment #966 of the Marine Corps League, Ron was also a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9831; a member of American Legion Post 14; and a member of the "Chosin Few," a last-man organization of those who survived the Chosin Reservoir Campaign in North Korea, November-December 1950.

Ron also served as a Government Merit Badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America for decades. He was president of the Idaho State Property Owners Association. For his efforts to reduce property taxes through statewide initiatives and in running for governor in 1994, Randy Stapilus included Ron in The Idaho Political Almanac's "Among the 100 Most Influential Idahoans" for four years in a row.

He was an active member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Coeur d'Alene.

Ron was a unique individual with a robust sense of humor and a joke for everyone, even in his last days in the hospital. He will be missed deeply by his family and all who knew him.