William J. Ransom

RANSOM William J. Ransom, 83, of 2121 Mackenzie Dr., Upper Arlington, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, December 22, 2007. He is survived by Marilyn (Pfefferle) Ransom, his wife of 59 years; six daughters: Susan Guirl of Columbus; Janet (John) Warton of New Fairfield, CT; Barbara (Simon) Ransom-Somers of Arlington, VA; Nancy (Michael) McCord of Waldorf, MD; Allison (Billy) Warner of Louisville, KY; Kristen Ransom of Columbus; 12 grandchildren and a new great-grandson. Born in Cincinnati in April 22, 1924, Bill served in the Pacific with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during WWII. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1951 with a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering and went to work for the Bode Finn Co. in Cincinnati. In 1955, he moved his family to Columbus to establish and manage a new branch for the firm. In 1959, Bill founded and became President of Handling Inc., a material handling equipment firm based in Columbus with a branch office in Charleston, WV. He was active in numerous industry associations, most notably MHEDA, was a regular contributor to industry publications and a frequent speaker at conferences. He was President of the International Material Management Society and served on the American Products Inventory Control System Board. Bill became a registered Professional Engineer and earned an MBA from Ohio State University in 1979. In 1981, he formed the consulting firm Ransom & Associates. Throughout his life, Bill was recognized and respected for his contributions to the business community. He was a firm believer in small business entrepreneurs and a mentor to many. In 1986 he was recognized as a creative leader and selected to both the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program and as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business. In 1992, he received the Columbus Leadership Award. He taught logistics at Columbus State University and entrepreneurship at Ohio State University. He founded the Columbus chapter of 40 Plus and recruited members for SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) to mentor small business entrepreneurs. Bill wrote The Competitive Edge, a weekly column on business practices for the Columbus Reporter, publishing more than 500 articles over the years. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, December 28, 2007 at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST CHAPEL, 1740 Zollinger Road, Upper Arlington. A funeral mass will follow at 12:30 p.m. at St. Andrews Catholic Church, 1899 McCoy Road, Upper Arlington. Following the mass, mourners are invited to join the family for a luncheon reception in the Church Hall. Private internment will take place Saturday, December 29, 2007 at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. Should you wish to send a memorial, the family suggests a donation to HomeReach Hospice, Ohio Health, 3595 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus, OH 43214 or Salesian Missions, 2 Lefevre Ln., New Rochelle, NY 10801. "Sign the online guestbook at www.dispatch.com/obituaries"