Maurice Rana

1923 - 2015

Maurice Rana

Fresno, CA - MAURICE (MOE) PETER RANA

November 19, 1923 – June 14, 2015

Maurice "Moe" Rana was born in Worcester, Massachusetts to Paolo and Donato Rana of Bisceglie, Italy on November 19, 1923. During the depression Moe and his siblings, Peter, Julia, John, and Isabel worked to help out the household as he went to school. Moe was a product of public schools and graduated High School in 1943.

Soon after graduation he enlisted into the Marines and was attached to the 17AA Battalion­ 2nd Marine Division. He was involved in several operations within the Marianna Islands of the South Pacific including Guam, Saipan, and Tinian. Moe had the aptitude for codes and analytic scenarios and was placed into the newly developed RADAR systems as a technician, one of the first in the Pacific. After being shaken up from aerial bombardment on Saipan, he was reassigned to the island of Tinian where he helped unload the classified cargo from the USS Indianapolis which was later deployed onto the Empire of Japan.

After his Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps Moe saw a good opportunity in California so Lydia with their new born son, Paul, headed to California in 1951. He joined his brother Peter in a restaurant business called "The Italian Kitchen Pizzeria". This was the only Pizza restaurant in the San Joaquin Valley in over a 100 mile radius and the first in Fresno, circa 1947­48 in a prior location what used to be "The Farmers Market". Fresno's population at that time was about 55,000 people.



Moe was very active in his clubs and his other two professions and he loved to bowl and golf. The National

Stock Brokers Association, Fresno Board of Realtors as a Real Estate Broker at Rana Real Estate and Realty Concepts, The Marine Corps League, Post 509 American Legion in Fresno and Post 201 American Legion in Worcester, MA, DAV, VFW, NRA, Veterans Parade Committee, Madera Italian Club, Edison Club, Dante Club and his favorite charity, Hinds Hospice, where he was credited and honored with the Moe Bowl.

Moe is survived by Lydia his wife of 66 years, his brother John and his sister Isabel of Worcester, sons and daughters -­in­law; Paul J. Rana and Margaret Notley of Big Fork Montana, Carl and Carla Stefanelli-­Rana of Fresno, Steve and Mary Wright-­Rana of Marina, California; grandsons, Toren and his wife Jen of Redmond Washington and Cale of Whidbey Island, Washington; many nieces and nephews, Delores McClune, Paul D. Rana, Christine Robinson and their families all of Fresno, Frank Scaglione, Grace Cucurullo, Philip Raffa and Frank Raffa & their families from New York, Virginia and Massachusetts respectively.

The family wishes to thank Susan Siemens of Siemens­Field & Associactes, Dr. Phon, Erma Davison, Nancy Lemon, Simon Robinson along with the entire staff at the California Veterans Home in Whitney Building #5 for the excellent care and attention they provided for Moe.

A celebration of Moe's life will be held on Monday, July 27, 2015 at Pardini's on 2257 West Shaw Ave. at 11:30am. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Fresno Veterans Home will be greatly appreciated as they took care of Moe so very well in the latter stage of his life. https://www.calvet.ca.gov/VetHomes/Documents/FresnoFactSheet.pdf