John Francis Rankl

John Francis Rankl, 85, died peacefully on July 25th, 2024, surrounded by his loving family and friends. "Buddy", as he was affectionately known, was born on September 2, 1938 to John and Agnes (Ulrich) Rankl. John spent much of his childhood and young adult life working on the family farm in Marlborough and enjoyed sharing countless stories of the wonderful and adventurous times he had growing up. John attended both East Hampton Elementary and E.H. High Schools before entering the Army Reserves from 1958-1960. John began his career working for Pratt and Whitney before starting his position at Ward Manufacturing in Manchester, where he worked as a highly skilled Machinist and Metal Fabricator for over 30 years. He finished his career at Labco Welding, leaving a lasting impression on many in his trade. In retirement, he embraced his love for treasure hunting, spending countless hours scouring flea markets and estate/tag sales for antique gems. This fostered his interest in refurbishing cast iron pots and sewing machines, later selling them at various antique shows and markets throughout the state.

John cherished family most of all. Gatherings around the family dinner table brought him great joy. He will always be remembered for his bodily sense of humor, gentle smile, and warm and generous heart. Besides his parents, John was predeceased by his first wife, Anne (Arnold) Rankl in 1982, and his second wife, Katherine (Ryan) Rankl in 2020. He leaves behind his many loved ones including daughter Joy Mega and her husband, John, of Sag Harbor, NY; son John Rankl of Manchester, CT; daughter Jill Rankl of Rocky Hill, CT; daughter Jacqueline Scovill and her husband, James, of Portland, CT; step daughter Kelly Ryan of Florida; five grandchildren including John Scovill and his wife, Taylor, of Portland, CT; Joshua Scovill and his fiancée, Gina, of Glastonbury, CT; Alex Mega of New York City, Aidan Mega of Sag Harbor, NY, Rachel Santerre of Ocala, FL; and great granddaughter, Gracie Scovill, of Portland, CT. He is also survived by his sister, Judith McSparren and her husband, Patrick, of Wilmington, NC, as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the entire nursing staff at the Portland Care and Rehabilitation Centre. Battling Parkinson's disease and dementia is a life changing task. The love, care and respect you gave our father his last six months will never be forgotten.

A "Celebration of Life" gathering is being planned for all his family and friends at some future date. In lieu of flowers, donations in John's name may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY 10163 or go to www.michaeljfox.org. Please include John's full name in memo line.