Monday, September 5, 2016

September 5, 2016. Pleasant field, Nova Scotia. Sheldon Rankin.

Our friend Shelly Rankin died suddenly on Thursday morning.  He was well.  Then he died.  His wife Ruth told Doreen that he awoke with a chest pain at 4:00am.  The ambulance was called and took him to the hospital but he died at the hospital when the medical staff was working to keep him alive.
What a shock.  He was full of energy and enthusiasm.  Now he has gone.

Shelly was one of the group in Toronto that hung around together in the early 50's.  He played in the Earlscourt Salvation Army band while I attended The Danforth Corps but we attended music camp together along with Youth Fellowship camp.  And of course he played in the Salvation Army hockey league so we saw him often although we were never good friends.  In true Salvation Army fashion, we always kept up with what everyone was doing, even if we did see each other.

A few years ago, we invited Don and Doreen to visit us at the farm and to bring Shelly and Ruth.  We had a wonderful time.  Then a couple of years later they all 4 came to Nova Scotia and again we enjoyed their company.  They almost came to Mississippi with Don and Doreen last year but something conflicted with our schedule.  Next year they were coming again to Nova Scotia.

Shelly was interested in everything around him as well as being interesting in his own right.  Over the years, his voice never changed.  And he always kept the twinkle in his eye.   The number of people who knew my parents and who knew me when I was a girl is quickly decreasing.  I feel so sorry for the Rankin Family and especially Ruth.  He will be sorely missed.  RIP.

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