In Memory Of
John Rankin
1949
2020
John Rankin
March 14, 1949 — March 5, 2020
John Joseph Rankin, age 70, of Orlando, Florida passed away on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at Cornerstone Hospice Inpatient Unit in Orlando, FL. He was the loving husband of Janet Rankin.
John was born on March 14, 1949 at the Naval Hospital in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, son of the late James Robert and Rose (D'Amico) Rankin. John spent his early years living in a variety of places. Twice he skipped a year in school, and his family settled in Jacksonville, FL when he was ten years old. It was here that John met his lifelong friend Mike. The two had a very close friendship not only with each other, but also with John's older brother Bobby, whom they idolized. They all shared a mutual love of baseball, and called themselves "the Bros".
In high school John met the woman that would become his wife of nearly 50 years, Janet Verlanic. He excelled academically and earned a spot at the United States Air Force Academy. But having graduated high school at the tender age of 16, he was too young to attend. So he spent a year at Florida State University before proceeding to the Academy.
Academically, John excelled at the Academy. His friends said he was always the smartest guy in the room. Along the way he forged many incredible lifelong friendships with the men he met there. He was active in sports, breaking his nose five times, once each playing basketball, baseball, water polo, rugby, and boxing. One time landed his photo in the paper because he had written "BEAT NAVY" across the bandage. He was also the lead singer in a rock-n-roll / soul band named "Critical Mass" that he formed with some other cadets.
Upon graduation, he and Janet were promptly married and they spent eight months in Raleigh while he earned his Master of Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University. He was then stationed in San Antonio where he led a team of engineers in analysis of electronic warfare systems being used in Vietnam. After the war he moved back to Colorado Springs to serve at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School as an instructor, course director, and coach, where he was affectionately known as "Ruthless Rankin". He was then stationed in Albuquerque where he worked on various aspects of the MX-Missile program, first as the lead survivability analyst during operational testing and later as the manager of the "shell game" basing mode.
After 12 years serving in the Air Force, John moved his wife and three kids to Orlando and began a civilian career as an analyst. He managed dozens of projects over the next 20 years, some as part of his own joint venture with friend and business partner Thomas G. Bland. He also served as an adjunct professor at UCF and numerous junior colleges.
John had a lifelong love of learning, teaching, and thinking. He read daily, wrote regularly, and thought continually. He tutored, coached, and taught. He loved the Great Courses, road rallies, crosswords, and working in the yard. Music was his passion: he was a soul man.
Besides his wife of 50 years, Janet, he is survived by his son, Bryan Rankin and his wife, Kim, of Roswell, GA; two daughters, Joanna Vilar and her husband, Carlos, of Orlando, and Rebecca Rankin-Lum and her husband, Eric, of Orlando; seven grandchildren, Mary Rankin, Andrew Rankin, David Rankin, John Rankin, Parker Rankin-Lum, Jensen Rankin-Lum, and Erron Vilar; his mother-in-law, JoAnn Verlanic; and a sister-in-law, LouAnne Perkins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Robert Rankin; and his sister, Lola Hoover.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 11:00 am at St. Alban's Anglican Cathedral, 3348 W State Road 426, Oviedo. Internment at the United States Air Force Academy during the 50th reunion for the class of 1970.
Please joins us following the service for a reception at John and Janet's home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in honor of Mary Rankin, John's Granddaughter. Checks can be sent to
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Georgia Chapter
57 Executive Park South
Suite 380
Atlanta, GA 30329
Or you can donate online by following this link:
https://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR;jsessionid=00000000.app260a?px=1496332&fr_id=7914&pg=personal&NONCE_TOKEN=46BADB682FA8B0DF66C6825348E3D2BA
To share your memories of John or leave a special condolence message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.
John was born on March 14, 1949 at the Naval Hospital in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, son of the late James Robert and Rose (D'Amico) Rankin. John spent his early years living in a variety of places. Twice he skipped a year in school, and his family settled in Jacksonville, FL when he was ten years old. It was here that John met his lifelong friend Mike. The two had a very close friendship not only with each other, but also with John's older brother Bobby, whom they idolized. They all shared a mutual love of baseball, and called themselves "the Bros".
In high school John met the woman that would become his wife of nearly 50 years, Janet Verlanic. He excelled academically and earned a spot at the United States Air Force Academy. But having graduated high school at the tender age of 16, he was too young to attend. So he spent a year at Florida State University before proceeding to the Academy.
Academically, John excelled at the Academy. His friends said he was always the smartest guy in the room. Along the way he forged many incredible lifelong friendships with the men he met there. He was active in sports, breaking his nose five times, once each playing basketball, baseball, water polo, rugby, and boxing. One time landed his photo in the paper because he had written "BEAT NAVY" across the bandage. He was also the lead singer in a rock-n-roll / soul band named "Critical Mass" that he formed with some other cadets.
Upon graduation, he and Janet were promptly married and they spent eight months in Raleigh while he earned his Master of Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University. He was then stationed in San Antonio where he led a team of engineers in analysis of electronic warfare systems being used in Vietnam. After the war he moved back to Colorado Springs to serve at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School as an instructor, course director, and coach, where he was affectionately known as "Ruthless Rankin". He was then stationed in Albuquerque where he worked on various aspects of the MX-Missile program, first as the lead survivability analyst during operational testing and later as the manager of the "shell game" basing mode.
After 12 years serving in the Air Force, John moved his wife and three kids to Orlando and began a civilian career as an analyst. He managed dozens of projects over the next 20 years, some as part of his own joint venture with friend and business partner Thomas G. Bland. He also served as an adjunct professor at UCF and numerous junior colleges.
John had a lifelong love of learning, teaching, and thinking. He read daily, wrote regularly, and thought continually. He tutored, coached, and taught. He loved the Great Courses, road rallies, crosswords, and working in the yard. Music was his passion: he was a soul man.
Besides his wife of 50 years, Janet, he is survived by his son, Bryan Rankin and his wife, Kim, of Roswell, GA; two daughters, Joanna Vilar and her husband, Carlos, of Orlando, and Rebecca Rankin-Lum and her husband, Eric, of Orlando; seven grandchildren, Mary Rankin, Andrew Rankin, David Rankin, John Rankin, Parker Rankin-Lum, Jensen Rankin-Lum, and Erron Vilar; his mother-in-law, JoAnn Verlanic; and a sister-in-law, LouAnne Perkins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Robert Rankin; and his sister, Lola Hoover.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 11:00 am at St. Alban's Anglican Cathedral, 3348 W State Road 426, Oviedo. Internment at the United States Air Force Academy during the 50th reunion for the class of 1970.
Please joins us following the service for a reception at John and Janet's home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in honor of Mary Rankin, John's Granddaughter. Checks can be sent to
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Georgia Chapter
57 Executive Park South
Suite 380
Atlanta, GA 30329
Or you can donate online by following this link:
https://fightcf.cff.org/site/TR;jsessionid=00000000.app260a?px=1496332&fr_id=7914&pg=personal&NONCE_TOKEN=46BADB682FA8B0DF66C6825348E3D2BA
To share your memories of John or leave a special condolence message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Rankin, please visit our flower store.
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