Richard Cecil "Richie" Rank

1956 - 2014  (57 years)

• Name	Richard Cecil "Richie" Rank
  Born	28 Mar 1956  [1]
  Gender	Male
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-233899
  Died	3 Jan 2014  [1]
  Buried	Saint Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Conestogo, Woolwich, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Person ID	I233899	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Arthur Henry Rank,   b. 8 Dec 1914, Crosshill, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 19 Nov 1985, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 70 years)
  Mother	Mabel Elizabeth Schmidt,   b. 6 Jan 1916, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. 6 Aug 1990, Heidelberg, Wellesley Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)
  Married	11 Dec 1935	North Easthope Twp., Perth Co., Ontario, Canada
  Family ID	F62642	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Mr. Elmira an indelible mark Some 800 mourners squeezed into every seat in the funeral home, while at least 200 stood shivering on the sidewalk, unable to find an inch of space inside. The family of Richard Rank was amazed at this outpouring of love from a community that considered Richie the unofficial mayor of Elmira, a man they called Mr. Elmira. Richie seemed to know everyone, remembered names and details about their lives and he wouldn't think twice about pulling an old friend or acquaintance over on the streets of Elmira just for a catch up. "When he asked 'how are you?' he meant it," said his wife Deby Price Rank. "He was infectious, the guy just got under your skin. He loved us to death and never expected anything in return." Daughter Caelen Rank, a graduating nursing student, remembered bike rides with her dad that pretty much amounted to ride 10 metres, stop to chat with someone, ride a few more metres, another chat. "He had that signature smile that would draw people to talk to him," said Caelen. Richie was born one of the youngest in a family of nine children living on a farm outside St. Clements. When he was a toddler, the family moved to Heidelberg. As a teen, he attended Elmira District Secondary School where he met Deby, a pretty blond drum majorette. They were married in 1978 and had three children: Kyle, Garrett and Caelen.Richie was never afraid of hard work. He drove truck until about 25 years ago when he found a permanent position with the Township of Woolwich, doing everything from snowplowing to flushing water mains. In fact, it was on a hot summer day while he was flushing a hydrant that a group of kids showed up. Richie let the water run a lot longer than necessary, just to give the them time to splash in the spewing geyser. "He was like a big kid with the happy smile," said Deby. Sitting in her Elmira home, surrounded by family, Deby sorted through a stack of sympathy cards several inches thick. She read comments about her husband's kindness, his constant smile, his genuine concern for everybody. He just always seemed to be there when he was needed. Caelen said that all three offspring could never get into trouble because "Dad knew everything that was going on." When she was hit by a car while on her bike a couple of summers ago "Dad was there before the first responders arrived," Caelen added. Kyle and Garrett, both high level athletes, always knew their dad would be there for every game. When Garret became a referee, he would find his dad sleeping in the chair when he got home. No matter how quietly he snuck upstairs, Richie would wake up to ask how the game went. He wanted details. Richie never earned a big paycheque and having children in sports can be expensive. So he also worked part-time driving a feed mill truck and refereeing. This sort of support paid off, big time. Kyle, now a Waterloo firefighter, earned a hockey and golf scholarship to St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Garrett is a Team Canada golfer, an Ontario Hockey League referee and a cancer survivor. Kyle said "he was our first coach and he always thought he was one of the guys." At parties and gatherings of any sort, Richie would be the one at the centre of a large circle of people eager to chat with him, the hub in a wheel of conversation. Deby said people just gravitated to her husband, perhaps because he never judged, never decided the troubled teens in town were any less worthy of attention than a business person. Kyle also said their dad encouraged his children, but never put pressure on them to play like so many other demanding parents. "I'm so thankful my dad wasn't that way," he said. Richie had played hockey through school, so it was natural he'd encourage his own children to engage in the game. But golf came about because Deby needed somewhere for the boys to go to keep them out of mischief while she cared for Caelen, then an infant. "It was the babysitter," she said, adding they knew everyone at the golf course, so there was always someone keeping an eye on the boys. When they were old enough, they became employees and developed exceptional golf skills. In this they surpassed their father, but he was always so proud and often expressed how lucky he was raising such accomplished children. For Richie, happiness was about people and riche had a remarkable memory for faces. He could be driving down the road, spot an old order Mennonite driving a buggy and remember they were in the same Grade 1 class in a rural school. Richie would have to stop for a chat, often to the delight and surprise of his old classmate. Richie had a booming voice, loved to tell endless stories that made his family roll their eyes and when he died of a heart attack at work, only weeks after receiving a clean bill of health, everyone was shocked. Kyle recalled that after the funeral, one of his fellow firefighters was so moved by the stories told about Richie, he was inspired to become a better man himself, a better husband. "He didn't do things to be recognized," said Caelen. Deby added "Every time he talked to us, he said he loved us." - By Valerie Hill, Special to the Record. Retrieved from https://www.therecord.com/life/2014/01/20/mr-elmira-an-indelible-mark.html

  
  

• Sources

  [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240104847.