Donald Keith Rankin

Donald Keith Rankin of Zephyrhills, Florida, departed this mortal plane and stepped into Glory at the youthful age of 80 on Monday, the 25 th day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-five. He departed peacefully, surrounded by three generations of family who loved him and rejoiced at his reunion with the Lord even as they mourned his absence.

Don was born on December 07, 1944, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Homer Louis Rankin and Debbie Rockel (Cornish) Rankin. A son of Scotch-Irish ancestry, he was a man with a tireless work ethic; fiercely protective of his family, devoted to his wife, and most of all, his Lord and Savior. He was a steadfast and loving father, raising two boys to be men of integrity and honor, along with correcting their many shortcomings and showing them his example for loving the Lord. His marriage of 58 years to Donna (Lackey) Rankin was full of life's joys and pains, but their love and devotion to one another was exemplary. Don began his work life as a young boy, working with his father, a master carpenter who regularly came behind him and tore out work that was not to his standards and instructed Don to "Do it right". That devotion to perfection in his work would become a pillar in his life as he carried it to everything he did. Whether it was maintenance and HVAC work, fabrication, welding, industrial machinery, property management, cars, or fishing with his family. He worked as many as three jobs at once over the years, doing whatever life required of him. In all of that, he still found time to attend and coach baseball games, stop by at football practice, cheer at games, and shuttle his boys around until he helped them set up their first vehicle; providing love, support, life lessons, and wisdom with every task. He loved every moment the Lord gave him, and he loved working, creating, and repairing; for himself or others. Had illness not sidelined him, he would happily have worked right up to the end. When his career came to a close, he vowed never to quit or surrender in the face of multiple ailments, and he never did. He simply answered the Lord's call to come home.

Don is survived by his wife Donna; his two sons and their wives Sean and Lorene, Keith and Roseanne; grandchildren Brianna, Preston, Megan, Kristi, Katrina, and Marisa;

great-grandchildren Maddison, Jasper, Witner Jr., Nadia, Esmeralda, Khaleel, Miles, Oliver, and Daria; his sisters Carol and Gail; Carol's children Deanne, Angie, and Phillip;

Nephew Terry. Don is also survived by three additional sons, not by blood, but by spirit, Mark, Kirk, and Kevin Bramer.

Don leaves behind a legacy of integrity, love, and honor for all who knew him. His family will forever cherish his memory. He enriched the lives of those he met and those he befriended in his life. His discipleship to colleagues, friends, and family alike will remain a hallmark of his life. We live with joy for all he gave, and we look forward to the day when we will join him again when our task here is complete.

A Celebration of Don's Amazing and Inspiring Life will be held on October 4, 2025 at 12pm at Southport Springs Golf Community, 3737 Southport Springs Pkwy, Zephyrhills