Ranney Wellington Thayer's Obituary
Ranney Wellington Thayer was born on January 3, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Robert Lyman Thayer and Louise Ranney. He grew up in Boston, Schenectady, the Florida Keys, and Philadelphia. He spent several summers at an outdoor camp in the wilderness of Ontario, Canada, canoeing and sailing. While a prep school student in Philadelphia, Ranney went on summer trips to the Western US, which resonated with him and piqued an interest in someday living out West. He graduated from William Penn Charter School in 1961 and received a B.A. in Government from Harvard University in 1965. In 1965, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and served in the Mediterranean in the Sixth Fleet on the Flagship cruiser U.S.S. Springfield. Following his two years as a Naval Officer, Ranney relocated to California and worked at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco while serving in the Navy Reserves. He graduated with an MBA from UC Berkeley in 1970 and began working at Ford Motor Company in 1971. Ranney worked as a Marketing Analyst for Ford and later as a Contract Administrator for Ford Aerospace, Loral and Lockheed Martin. Ranney also held a Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University. He was an avid sailor and enjoyed taking his friends and family out on his sailboats on San Francisco Bay. Ranney also enjoyed international travel with his wife Kathy to Europe, Canada, South America, Central America, the South Pacific, the Middle East, and North Africa. He was passionate about family and his church community. He is survived by his wife of 30 years Kathleen Thayer, his children Janice Candelario, John Thayer, and Caroline Gibson, grandchildren Sophia Candelario, David Candelario, Colin Gibson, and Connor Gibson, siblings Robert Thayer, Victoria Thayer, and Joseph Thayer, stepchildren Larisa Usich and Bryan Crapo, children-in-law Gregorio Candelario, Chris Gibson, Iryna Thayer, John Usich, and Tonya Crapo, and step grandchildren Evelyn Usich, Nick Usich, and Bryce Crapo. Memorials can be sent payable to San Francisco Swedenborgian Church, 3200 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94115. Or visit https://sfswedenborgian.org/donations/
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