Dennis RANEY

1939 - 2026

Sep 8, 1939 - Jan 22, 2026

Dennis Jack Raney, a longtime resident of Spokane, passed away on January 22, at the age of 86. Jack was born in Kellogg, ID, on September 8, 1939, to Dennis and Junice Raney. He made his mother proud early in life by winning "Baby Spokane" in 1941. Jack was the oldest of five children. He is survived by his three sisters, Mary Jean, Kathleen, and Geraldine, who loved him dearly. His younger brother Frank, his best friend, predeceased him 10 years ago. Jack would often mention how much he missed his brother, and it's good to know he's with him again.

During his childhood, he attended St. Aloysius School in Spokane; then, later at the age of 13, he moved to Santa Barbara, CA, to attend the catholic seminary school. For college, he attended several universities. He loved going to school. First, he attended Gonzaga University for two years. Then he went over to Seattle, where he got a job with Boeing while attending Seattle University, and then the University of Washington. He returned to Spokane and earned a bachelor's degree in education from Gonzaga. For a brief time, he also attended Eastern Washington University. And then a few years later, he earned a master's degree at Washington State University.

Jack married the love of his life Marlene Adams on December 30, 1961. They had five children: Michael, Paul, Annie, Tom, and John. They had five grandchildren, Alex, Bailey, Ben, Michelle, and Joe. And he also had numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. All who adored and loved him tremendously.

Jack was a beloved teacher who taught Spanish and German at Ferris High School for more than 30 years. He was selected as the first German teacher when Ferris opened. And before retiring from Ferris, he also taught English as a second language at a local community college for immigrants living in Spokane. During his teaching years, he was awarded three Fulbright Scholarships. The Fulbright Program is one of the most esteemed international scholarship programs, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. It aims to enhance mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchanges. Jack was the perfect candidate. He represented the United States well. These scholarships allowed him to teach in Europe on three separate occasions – Ludwigsburg, Germany, Vienna, Austria, and then a small town in Northern Germany.

Not only did he love to teach, but he loved to learn. He continued learning new languages throughout his life, languages like Mandarin Chinese, and more recently, he had been learning a few new words in Bantu. He taught himself how to put a computer together from scratch. And he would teach his children and nieces and nephews about many things that he would learn along his life's journey. Not only about the spiritual, but also about things concerning nature. He loved the outdoors, and he loved the Northwest. He liked learning about the birds of the northwest, the geology of the northwest, and about its trees. And that western hemlock droops at the top. He will be much missed for his humor, intelligence, and kindness.

A Rosary will be held on Wednesday, February 4th, at 4 pm, and a funeral on February 5th, at noon, at St. Aloysius Church.