William Howell “Hal” Rankin

July 6, 2020 |
William Howell “Hal” Rankin, age 76, of Calera, AL, born in Tulsa, OK on January 12, 1944, died at home, July 2, 2020 after an extended illness.  He is survived by his wife, Patsy Henderson Rankin, sister Rosemary Shows (Jay), nephew Brian Moseley, step-children Bruce Martin, Dennis Martin, Wendy Wesson, and many step grand and great grand children.  Papa Hal had a loving and caring relationship with Wendy and her boys, Preston Dodd, Kenneth Dodd, Colin Wesson and Fisher Wesson.  He was preceded in death by parents Janice Hobbs Rankin and William Edgar Rankin.  Hal served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.  Burial will be at The Alabama National Cemetery, Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at 10:15am.  Officiated by Charter Funeral Home in Calera, AL.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Disabled American Veterans or ExpectCare Hospice of Birmingham.
Posted in Obituaries

6 Comments

  1. Chip Haring on July 7, 2020 at 10:13 am

    Hal and I were great friends. Missed seeing him in these later years. We lived together working in Huntsville for a while after his Naval stint and reunited in Birmingham later on. He was a great person and had a terrific sense of humor. All the best to his family.



  2. Lenn Jackson on July 7, 2020 at 10:22 am

    Prayers for Hal’s family.

    Lenn Bomar Jackson
    THS Class of ’62



  3. Ed McTyre on July 7, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    Hal was everybody’s friend at THS! Super nice guy whom I wish I had known better back in the day!



  4. Sara Duren Porch on July 8, 2020 at 12:46 am

    Prayers for Hal’s family. A fine man, and wished I had known him in his later years. So sorry for his family’s loss.



  5. Ward McFarland on July 23, 2020 at 11:47 am

    I just found out today, 7-23-20 that Howell had passed away. We were next door neighbors in the cloverdale subdivision Tuscaloosa.His sister Rosemary was a toddler when I first met her. Howell, Buddy Wyatt and I had many exciting adventures when we were ages 6-12. We built a small airplane out of card board boxes and tried to fly it off the tool shed in Howells back yard. No injuries! Were students at University Place School. Also Howell had the first Television in the neighborhood in the year 1951. He was a good friend.



  6. John Allen on September 11, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    When I found out about Hal’s passing, it was too late to attend the funeral. We were best friends in 1960-61, and later, in Birmingham, when he married Dianne, I was his Best Man. We drifted apart in later years and I regretted it. God speed to your next adventure, Hal.