William Edward (Sonny) Rankin passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 28, 2023, at his home of 32 years in Big Water, Utah. He was two weeks shy of his 82nd birthday. Husband, father of 11, grandfather of 54 and great-grandfather to 35: He will be missed and remembered by all. He was born on April 8, 1941, in New Orleans, Louisana: the second and last child of Velma Andrews and William Rankin. As a child, he enjoyed adventuring in the swamps in search of snakes. He did encounter a few alligators. Velma was a concert pianist, and Sonny picked up the music early in life.
When Sonny turned 23, he was hired by Boeing’s Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana. There, he was a level 4 technical artist for two years in the Quality and Reliability Assurance Department for the Saturn V Rocket project under Wernher von Braun. He spent the next 25 years working in different areas of art: from engineering and designing traffic flow, a building inspector, and a survey crew chief, to 8 years as a medical illustrator at two different universities. He was a professional musician, performing in local restaurants and pubs across Arizona and Utah with his bands The Babylon Blues, Morning Star and Sage Music.
Sonny lived his life true to his beliefs and placed family at his center. He was proactive with his part in this Grand Plan. We will forever be grateful for the Guidance and Wisdom our Passionate Truth Seeker, Chess Champion, Fisherman and Pool Shark imparted on us all.
Sonny is survived by his older sister Velma Mae, the mothers of his children Geraldine Alexius Rankin and Heather Jones Rankin, and 10 of his children: Ronald Rankin (Coreen Cook), Rhonda Pickering (Farrell Pickering), Raymond Rankin (Heather Curtsinger), Rose Donalson (Scott Donalson), Rachael Rankin, Ryan Rankin (Vicki Layton), David Rankin (Cecily Barker), Dr. Lauren Yuill (Benjamin Yuill), Joseph Rankin and Ashley Rankin Brunner (Cory Brunner).
He was preceded in death by his mother Velma Andrews, his father William Rankin and his son William Randolph “Randy” Rankin. A celebration of his life was held on March 31, 2023, at his home in Big Water, Utah.
