Nancy Sarah McFarland Ranew

Milton - Nancy Sarah McFarland Ranew, 96 of Milton, passed away on July 14, 2020. Nancy was born August 17, 1923 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Donald and Pauline McFarland. She had three siblings, Elizabeth Hoffman (deceased), Janice Volz, and Donald McFarland, Jr. (deceased). Nancy moved to Jacksonville as a child. During WWII, she attended Jacksonville Vocational School and became an airplane mechanic. She spent two years at Buckingham Army Airfield repairing B-17, B-24, and B-25 aircraft. After the war, she earned a Bachelor's Degree at Florida State College for Women and began teaching. In 1951, Nancy married Richard Arsbon Ranew, Sr. (deceased). They had three children, Richard, Mary, and Alice. Most knew Nancy as a math and science teacher at Hobbs Middle School, where she taught for over 20 years, but Nancy also taught at Milton High School for 7 years, Milton's Canal Street School for 2 years, Eglin Air Base Elementary for 2 years, and the Bartram School for Girls for 1 year. As a teacher, she continued her own education by taking summer classes at Louisiana State University, the George Peabody College of Education, Chapel Hill University, and East Carolina University. She earned a Master's Degree from the University of West Florida in 1980. Nancy is survived by her sister (Janice), her son (Richard) her daughters (Mary and Alice), 8 grandchildren, and 36 great-grandchildren.

Private services will be held. Eastern Gate Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by the Pensacola News Journal from Jul. 15 to Jul. 17, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Nancy Ranew

Sponsored by Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens.

11 Entries

Garrett Ashley Mullet

July 18, 2020

This week, my grandmother Nancy Sarah Ranew passed away. She was a month and a half-week shy of her 97th birthday. She was also the last of my surviving grandparents, as well as the last surviving great-grandparent of my children.

Her father lost a fortune during the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and my grandmother told me stories of her step-mother's father - a wealthy man who was a member of the Gideons - coming to visit late one winter night to bring coats and shoes for her siblings when she was a child, since they could not afford them otherwise.

So also, when my brother and I were growing up, we regularly received boxes from Florida. These "shipments," as we referred to them, came both when we lived in Montana, and after we moved to Ohio, and in them we found coats and clothes and shoes and books and VHS tapes.

It was Grandma and Grandpa Ranew who also sent us our first TV with a VHS player. And with that TV, over the years, came VHS tapes of Charlton Hesston classics like Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments, plus the Sound of Music, plus The Greatest Story Ever Told, plus lots of Disney animated films, which my brother and I watched over and over.

It was Grandma and Grandpa Ranew also who sent me a Super Nintendo and games for my birthday one year, I think when I turned nine. Never in my life - before or since - have I ever been so excited about a birthday present.

And later in life, when I had children of my own, even after Grandpa passed away a few years back, my Grandma Ranew sent boxes of clothes and shoes and books to my children.

Today, now that she has passed, I am glad I kept up with her, and answered the phone when she called to see how we were doing every other month or so. Otherwise, I would not have known that it was memories of being without when she was a child, and a kind old Gideon bringing coats and shoes for her and her siblings late one winter night which inspired her to do likewise with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She always made a point to tell me she didn't want me to feel like she doubted my ability to take care of my family. But she wanted me to know this was her way of honoring God, and of honoring my Grandpa Ranew who had always been so excited down through the years when she would come home from shopping sales at the commissary, JCPenney, and Sears to show him what she was going to send their grandchildren.

My Grandma Ranew was an airplane mechanic during World War II. She was a regular Rosie the Riveter. And it was her time in that service that she always confided to me had made her familiar with some language she still had to try not to use when she was angry.

When my Grandpa Ranew was in and out of hospitals after serving in World War II himself, unable to work to support the family, Grandma worked as a public school teacher for 30-years, teaching math and science.

In Grandma's later life, when she was out and about Milton, running errands or shopping, she would still from time to time encounter old students of hers - now parents and grandparents themselves - who would come up to her and hug her and thank her for having made them do their homework.

For all that, she told me more times than I could tell you how proud she was of my wife and I for "raising good people." And how she told me "That's what the world needs, don't you agree?" And she told me again and again that I had married "an amazing woman."

Grandma Ranew was so proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and would catch me up on all my cousins and their families every time I spoke with her.

The last time I talked with her was like so many others. And she told me she didn't know why God had blessed her with such a long life, except to keep blessing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Rest in peace, Grandma. May the good Lord continue to bless your generosity to your descendants for generations to come.

Veronica (Chambers) Coutts

July 18, 2020

She was the best!! I loved her!! I knew her as my science teacher at Hobbs. my heart felt prayers to her family!!

AnwarNegm

July 18, 2020

My condolences.
May her soul Rest In Peace

Cheryl Young Blackmon

July 18, 2020

So sorry for your loss. Wish I had got to know her better. She as my favotite teacher in middle school.

Amanda Johnson

July 17, 2020

I'm so sorry to hear about Mrs Ranew. Mrs. Renew and her husband bought our home on Berryhill Rd back in the 70s. I remember her teaching in middle school. Prayers for her family.

Diane Proffitt

July 17, 2020

Miss Renew was my Science teacher at Milton High School and one of my favorites such a sweet lady . Sorry for the Families lost another angel to look down on us

July 17, 2020

So sorry to hear of your loss. Thoughts and prayers for your family.
Sincerely, Susan Perry Mims

Sandy Adams

July 17, 2020

My condolences to the Ranew family. She was my 8th grade science teacher and my Mom and dad's neighbor for nearly 40 years. A truly remarkable woman.

Judith Love Krasinski

July 17, 2020

Had Mrs Ranew for science at Milton high. Loved her so much! She was so interesting. A real treasure. God rest her soul and my condolences to her family.

John Bergschneider

July 17, 2020

Mrs. Ranew started me on a path of the love of science in 7th grade science class in the old section of MHS. Best wishes and prayers for her family.

Michael Losee

July 16, 2020

Mrs. Ranew was one of my most favorite teachers. My thoughts and prayers are with Mary. Alice, and Richard.

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