George C. Rann

George Rann, 93, long-time resident of the Cleveland, Ohio area passed away in Indian Harbour Beach, FL on March 26, 2018. He was a native of Cologne, New Jersey and graduated from Egg Harbor High School in 1942. He joined the U. S. Navy after graduation and received his Naval Aviator Wings in 1945. He was sent to the Pacific theatre, flying PBY Catalina patrols in preparation for the invasion of Japan. When the war ended, he returned home and enrolled at Rutgers University graduating in 1949 and was re-commissioned in the Navy. He served in active duty until 1960 rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and retired from in the reserves in 1984. Among notable duty assignments in the Navy, he served in Patrol Squadron VP-24 (The Batmen), in VX-1 Patuxent River, Maryland, and as the Intelligence Officer for Fleet Air Wing III. His experience in VX-1 included operational testing of drone aircraft that have evolved into the unmanned aerial vehicle programs of today. In 1960, the family moved to the Cleveland area and George joined O.J. Lange & Company, the family marine insurance business later acquired by Alexander and Alexander. He was a member of the Kirtland Country Club, where he was an avid golfer, the Hanger and the Chagrin Valley Athletic Club. For years, he was a fixture at C. S. Harris Stadium and the Quisenberry Gymnasium in Chagrin Falls watching his grandchildren play for Tiger football, lacrosse and volleyball teams. He is survived by his three children, Constance Rann (Jim) Overton of Jacksonville, FL., Katharine Lyn Rann of Bratenahl, OH, James Lange Rann of Chardon, OH, and grandchildren, Sarah, William, Elizabeth Lee, David, Caroline and Gwyneth; brothers Colonel Louis A. Rann USMC (ret), of Indian Harbor Beach, FL,, Robert W. Rann of Mamora, NJ, and sisters Patricia Stutzbach of Indian Harbor Beach, FL, and Phyllis Messinger of Cologne, NJ and numerous nieces and nephews. George was preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Esther (Hanselman) Rann and his wives Diane LaMonte (Moore) Rann of Mansfield, OH and Katharine Lee (Lange) Rann of Shaker Heights, OH. There will be a service at the Satellite Beach United Methodist Church, 3:00 PM Friday, April 6th, 2018, and another in Chagrin Falls, OH at a later date. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please see www.fisherhouse.org. This is a "Ronald MacDonald house" concept for families of enabling them to eliminate the cost of housing while staying close to their loved one receiving treatment. There are three ways to donate. 1. Use the web site to bring up the home page. Up in the right hand corner area, there is a yellow tab "Donate". Click on it and a menu will accept credit card information. Under the amount, there is a box to check if the gift is in honor of someone and if you use that to enter Dad's name it will prompt for an address for notification. Feel free to use mine at 3751 Oak Point Ave. Jacksonville, Fl 32210 and I will notify Lynnie and Jimmy. Or enter theirs. 2. Send a check made payable to: Fisher House Foundation Address: Fisher House Foundation 111 Rockville Pike #420 Rockville, MD 20850. There is a form you can include that is found by going to the FAQ section on the right hand side of the webpage that shows the question…. Can I make a donation by check? 3. Call them at 888-773-2001 and make the donation by phone. In all cases, we will receive a notification if you have donated in Dad's name and you will receive a tax receipt as it is a 501-3 (C) organization. Further if you wish to direct the funds to the Cleveland facility, that would be special also. For those of you who may want to send flowers, the church name is the Satellite Beach United Methodist Church at 450 Lee Ave, Satellite Beach, FL 32937. As far as local florists, Buds N Bows…. 321-472-8571 has gotten good YELP reviews but I don't have any experience with any down there. I have heard Suntree Florist does a good job but there are several in the area from which to choose.