Lawrence Ranes

Lawrence (Larry) Ranes

Lawrence (Larry) Ranes died Sunday, May 30, 2021 surrounded by his loving family at the Billings Clinic Hospital in Billings, Montana. He lost his battle with heart and lung disease and was only 74 years young. Born in 1946 in Havre, Montana to parents Melvin and Caroline Ranes, Larry grew up all over because his dad built many of the roads and highways of Montana, so they were always moving. Their family became bigger when his brother, Douglas (Doug) was born and later, his sister, Patti Jo.

Larry attended high school in Dillon where he first met his high school sweetheart, Shirley Whittenberg, in 10th grade. They dated on and off until Larry went off to serve our country in the Navy in 1964. He served in the Vietnam War as a Coxswain (landing craft driver) and was assigned to a Navy ship that traveled into the China Sea for war operations. He also served on a Navy ship that used the naval base in Subic Bay, Philippines as its port of call. When his mother was dying of cancer in 1967, he was transferred to the Navy Reserve Unit to be with her in Billings, Montana.

He met and married the mother of his children, Karla Nelson in 1967. They shared a love for softball and Larry coached Karla's team. They had two beautiful children, Kevin and Nikole (Niki). He loved and was very proud of both of them. As Kevin grew up, he wrestled and played football while his dad cheered him on from the sidelines. When Niki decided to play softball, he was equally proud and loved watching her play. Larry and Karla divorced in 1989 but remained lifelong friends.

In 2004, Shirley reconnected with Larry and the high school sweethearts finally, after nine years of being too busy celebrating life together, married on April Fools Day in 2013. Shirley will tell you, 'God put us back together again and I was blessed to have had him for as long as I did.' The two loved camping in the quiet mountains and fishing in the small streams of Montana. Niki and her husband Brian had two beautiful daughters who Larry loved watching grow up and play softball. Jalen and Deven loved their Papa enormously and he loved them. Larry also loved Shirley's three children Mary Lynn Del (Delly), Donald (Ditto) and Tim as well as her grandchildren and great grandchildren as his own.

Having had a previous heart attack and other heart problems, Larry received a transplant in 2014, giving him more precious time to spend with his loved ones. He was grateful for this gift of life and spent the next eight years taking many 'fostered' adults and their children and grandchildren under his wing. If Larry and Shirley could help someone…they did. Larry had a big heart. Shirley knows because she was there the day the doctors put it in his chest.

Quick witted and an incorrigible lifelong flirt, Larry spent his last few days much like he spent his life. He cherished every minute, joking and laughing with his family, friends and the nurses who took care of him. His mischievous grin and his boisterous laugh was infectious even in his last days. He will be enormously missed by Shirley, his siblings, his children, his grandchildren, his nieces and the many other surviving family members and friends who loved him.

Larry did not want a formal funeral or a memorial. Instead, he wanted us to live life to the fullest and to make beautiful memories every day with our family and friends. His ashes will be interred at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Laurel, Montana. In lieu of flowers, Shirley and his family would prefer you honor Larry by donating to operationfishingfreedom.com, an organization that provides fishing trips for returning soldiers and veterans to help heal the effects of post traumatic stress. You can also honor Larry by becoming an organ donor.