Thomas C. Ranney
January 13, 1950 - February 4, 2005
Posted on 03/01/2005 6:47:04 PM PST by Cacique
This past February 4th fellow FReeper and fellow conspirator Tom Ranney passed away unexpectedly after a short illness brought about to a severe reaction to a blood thinner prescribed by his doctor. He leaves behind a wife Debbie and a teenage daughter. He was only 55 years old.
I should have started this thread a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to post some pictures with it and it took me forever just to find the shots I have here. There are still many shots I have not found. But we can't delay this any longer. It's time to post the thread. In a way it was fortuitous, as it allowed a greater amount of time to reflect on Tom and what he meant to those who knew him.
I first met Tom on the website Talkspot.com after James Golden (AKA Bo Snerdly) left the Rush Limbaugh show to start on his own internet fed talkshow in a budding internet radio experiment. As fans of James, who had his own local show on WABC 770 in New York (The James and Joel show on weekends) we followed him there. Tom was already at that time a member of FReeRepublic, one of many FReepers that lurked around at Talkspot.com. The experiment lasted barely a year before Talkspot.com folded and the experiment ended. At the time I was running a website and set up a bulletin board where talkspot refugees could come and hang out. Because of the family atmosphere on talkspot we all became friends and acquainted with James on a personal level. James would come to the FReeper Talkspot BBQ's that we set up on both the west coast and here. It was at our first East coast BBQ that I finally got to personally meet Tom, who had been a voice on the phone who called the talkshows. It was there that we also both met James.
Although Tom had a doctorate in economics, he found he made a better living as an IT and computer consultant guy. We were both fans of Steve Malzberg (Tom was a frequent caller to his show) at WABC radio, as well, and it was through Tom that I ended up doing a brief stint as Steve's webmaster.
Tom was a great conversationalist and had a great sense of humor. Maybe I think that because he laughed at all of my jokes. I found in Tom a kindred spirit with whom I agreed with politically 99% of the time. We spent many an hour speaking on the phone about politics and all things computers. I will miss those conversations. He was very actively involved in New Jersey republican politics and contributed both his time and money to the cause. He used to get dispirited as elections have not been going the Republican way in New Jersey for some time now. Being from New York, I rightfully understood how he felt.
He had wanted to spend his retirement in friendlier surroundings and had planned his retirement in better climes down south. To that end he had bought land in North Carolina and was planning on building a house by a lake and retiring there after his daughter Sarah graduated school. It is a shame and it hurts to think that those plans will never materialize for Tom. Dreams and hopes dashed by providence. Tom's life and experience once more teaches me that though we are actors in the play of life, someone else is writing the script. We think we're in charge of our lives and our plans, when nothing could be further from the truth.
I will miss Tom dearly. I hope he is in a better place, for we shall all be soon joining him. I keep thinking that they have access to the internet in the great beyond and Tom is there cruising the net on his laptop. I kind of think he's reading this thread.
I know that FReepers are among the most generous people. His wife Sarah has asked that anyone who would like to celebrate Tom's life can make a contribution in Tom’s name to the AGAPE soup kitchen, which is run from The Presbyterian Church, 140 Mountain Ave, Westfield, NJ, 07090. His daughter Sarah has been volunteering at this mission for a very long time and the money will go to a very good use and help many people. ALL of the money goes directly to feeding people. Everyone is a volunteer and the administrative costs are picked up by the church. There is no overhead, your money goes directly to feeding people. Just the kind of program a conservative ought to support.
Sorry to hear this. Love the pics, too!
I think Snerdley married a woman from my mom's hometown of Kankakee, IL.
This is indeed like saying goodbye to a family member, although I didn't know Tom..... if he was a FReeper, then he was family all the same. Reading you article about him brought back such wonderful memories of James Golden, I took great great delight in participating with his short but fun internet-participation radio show and was so sad when it went offline. I bet Tom would have been as fun a person to know as James was.
To Tom's family I say...... well what can I say, words just don't convey the deep sympathy that is in my heart in times like this. But I do know that when my Father-in-law (a Marine Freeper/Lurker) passed away, the massive outpouring of words from the FR community meant so much to our whole family. Even those who had never read the website poured over and over the heartfelt sentiments posted there and felt a great comfort that so many people cared. So I hope it will be for Tom's family. I pray that they will know with confidence that so many of us really do care and our prayers are with you, and Tom will be remembered in our hearts.
Rest in Peace fellow FReeper. We know you are in a better place watching over the Free Republic. You will be missed.
Sorry to hear about this. I hate to see the good ones go.
Thank you for the ping, Do not dub me.
Prayers for the family.
Another FReeper has exited this world.
-Sincerely, G.J.P.(Jr.)
Any thoughts, prayers, comments, etc., should be directed towards Cacique.
-Sincerely, G.J.P. (Jr.)
joining you in those prayers. So sorry to read of their, and our, loss.
Please send your comments-if you so choose-to Cacique.
-Sincerely, G.J.P. (Jr.)
RIP Tom! Heaven has wonderful high-speed interenet connections I hope.
Sincerely, G.J.P. (Jr.)
ping
RIP
My apologies if you were inadvertently pinged.
Any thoughts, memories, etc., should be directed towards Cacique.
-Sincerely, G.J.P. (Jr.)
Go with God Tom...and prayers for the comfort of your family.
I'm not surprised he fell ill after taking blood thinners. My dad was on Coumadin and Warfarin for a few months in the early 90s, not easy meds to take. They helped him, but the side effects were brutal.
Prayers for his family. Fifty five is way too young.
Thanks cacique for this post....
Pay your respects-if you so choose-by sending a message to Cacique.
-Sincerely, G.J.P. (Jr.)
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