Robert "Bob" Rans' Obituary
Bob Rans lived 98 years - years he always felt were a gift because he wasn't supposed to see all of them. On August 1st 1943 at the age of 22, he was shot down in a low-level bombing raid over the Romanian oil fields of Ploesti. Parachuting from a flaming plane and badly burned, he was one of the few of his fellow airmen to survive. But he did, and after 13 months as a POW he was liberated back to Allied lines. In September of 1945, after 12 months stateside in a VA Hospital in Springfield, MO, he returned to his birthplace and home of Chicago, Illinois. Feeling like the luckiest guy in the whole world, he kept that lucky streak going.
He was reunited with a neighborhood friend, Eleanore Stasila, who had served as an Army Nurse. They shared a mutual love of jazz, and married in 1949. Two children arrived - Susan in 1952 and Bob Jr in 1958 - and the family settled in Chicago's Southwest side. Bob worked for Ryerson Steel, using his gift of gab and the ability to befriend people to sell steel products. He retired in 1982 after 30 years at the same job. As the years went by he always took great joy in pointing out that he had been retired longer then he worked.
Bob and Eleanor headed south to St Petersburg Florida permanently in 1984. There, he worked part-time at then St. Petersburg Junior College, helping the science faculty with their A/V needs. This brought him close to two his lifelong fascinations - the study of astronomy/astrophysics, and engaging people in conversation. He actually retired again with a second pension from St. Pete College when Eleanore fell ill and died in 1993. Bob served as her caregiver during her illness and was heartbroken at her loss.
But he pressed on and entered a new stage of life, first traveling to the North Pole with his son Bob and then to Northern Russia. Back home, he met Ila Barrett, a recent widow, at the St Pete Moose. They married in 1995 and moved to Aston Gardens of Tampa where they danced and travelled until Alzheimers took Ila in 2010.
Everyone at Aston Gardens remembers Bob and his cameras. He took photos of everything that happened there and everyone around him. Bob's life at Aston Gardens also included his commitment to wounded veterans and he joined his fellow vets there to form the Aston Gardens Veterans Club that helped to raise money for current wounded warriors. So Bob combined his commitment and his cameras to contribute to Operation Helping Hand at Haley VA Hospital. Remembering his experience and to pay it forward, he took photos of the current heros with their families and staff at the monthly OPHH dinners at Haley. He would present the framed photos to the injured soldiers while sharing his stories of wounds, recovery and hope. Bob also traveled around the country to reunions with his fellow airmen, POW's, and Ploesti survivors. Before he passed last week, he was the lone survivor of that group.
He danced until he couldn't anymore, enjoyed cocktail hour until he didn't feel steady anymore, read about astrophysics, drove a car and hit a golf ball until he couldn't see anymore. His long streak of luck, joy, and love ran out on July 3rd 2019. He leaves behind his son Bob, Bob's wife Carolyn, his daughter, Susan, and her partner Kappy, along with his dear friend Delena Smith and his loving caregiver Trinity Hamilton. All of them will miss him mightily. He was a lucky guy who lived in incredible life, but we were actually the lucky ones to have known him.
In lieu of flowers, donations should be made out to: Operation Helping Hand. Send to: Bill Connery, 11734 Lake Aston Court, #213, Tampa, FL 33621
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