Mariah, We are so very sorry for your loss, We are sending you our Love and Prayers in this time of grief, We will miss Rannie very much, holding you in our hearts. Heather and Hazel (MacKinnon)
Dear Mariah and family, my sincere condolences on the passing of Rannie. He had lots of stories and was keen on genealogy. I once accompanied a young woman to see Rannie. She wanted to research her family who had lived opposite Rannie’s old home on Walker’s Cove Road. Rannie was able to trace her roots and was very hospitable. We will miss you Rannie. You are most likely up there exchanging stories with your nephew Sandy. Love, Patsy Gibson & family
To The whole MacDonald family. So sorry to hear of your Dad passing. He was a part of the community for so long, it’ll be impossible to think he’s not there. He’ll just be watching over you all from a different spot.
Rosie Poirier and Jim and Vincent McDonald.
He was a great man! He was so passionate about things. He could smell BS from a mile away, and he was not afraid to express his opinions. He was as tough as nails and yet as funny as you can get. He was my Mom’s best friend and visited her almost daily when she was almost house-bound, looking after my Dad in his last few years.
He could tell a story with such passion and expression, and when he got excited, the tone of his voice would rise and he would start to speak faster. You knew the punch line was coming soon.
When I was a kid, he told a great story to my brothers David and Lauchie, and me. Apparently a neighbour had a path across Rannie’s field, and that was fine, but he when he was crossing Rannie’s fence, he was bending it over badly. Rannie’s cattle soon found this bent over section and began to walk over and out themselves. And cattle on the road was always a big concern in those days. So Rannie devised a plan, where he would hook up an electric fence wire and wait in hiding till the “intruder” stretched himself over the fence. He would then pull the electric switch at just the right moment, and you can imagine what would happen next. As young boys, we were in stitches over this story and we laughed just as much when re-told to ourselves over the years.
He was tough too: there is a story that he and his brother cleaned out a whole bar in Niagara, after someone made an uncomplimentary comment about Maritimers. The story goes that he and Jocksey knocked out half a dozen of the locals that evening. They kept at it till there was no more challengers. The story goes on to say that during the fight, another less rowdy Judiquer was kept busy piling up the knocked out or injured bodies like they were cordwood. Recently I asked him if the story was true, and he replied that “it wasn’t a big as the story had it”. So modest! Most people would tend to expand on it a bit over time, but not him.
Another story of Uncle Rannie was when he was in the TB hospital in Kentville and had surgery to remove 1 and 1/2 lobes of his lung. In those days lung surgery was a major thing; they had to cut through the back muscle, then saw though the shoulder blade, and then pry apart the ribs from behind. Can you imagine the pain afterwards? Well, after the surgery, the doctor came to check on him and said, “my goodness, Mr MacDonald, I have sawn open a lot of of guys in my days, but I never had to cut and saw through so much bone and muscle; we barely get through” and Rannie answered back, “well Doctor, if you had to pull 150 lobster traps by hand, six days a week, half your life, you would have muscles on your back too”
In his latter years Rannie became very wise and thoughtful. He could always be depended upon to give good advice on this or that situation. I guess, with the tough life he had, he knew the score.
My whole family, of Peter and Isobel Rankin’s kids will miss him immensely. He was always so kind and generous to us. We pray he will get an honoured seat in the world hereafter.
Sunset Funeral Co-op 
My sincere condolences to Ronald’s family and to everyone who know him. May he be at peace!
Mariah, We are so very sorry for your loss, We are sending you our Love and Prayers in this time of grief, We will miss Rannie very much, holding you in our hearts. Heather and Hazel (MacKinnon)
Dear Mariah and family, my sincere condolences on the passing of Rannie. He had lots of stories and was keen on genealogy. I once accompanied a young woman to see Rannie. She wanted to research her family who had lived opposite Rannie’s old home on Walker’s Cove Road. Rannie was able to trace her roots and was very hospitable. We will miss you Rannie. You are most likely up there exchanging stories with your nephew Sandy. Love, Patsy Gibson & family
Marie and family
Sorry to learn of Rannies passing.
Our condolences to you all
Duncan and Libby Cameron
To The whole MacDonald family. So sorry to hear of your Dad passing. He was a part of the community for so long, it’ll be impossible to think he’s not there. He’ll just be watching over you all from a different spot.
Rosie Poirier and Jim and Vincent McDonald.
Condolences to Marie and the whole family.
He was a great man! He was so passionate about things. He could smell BS from a mile away, and he was not afraid to express his opinions. He was as tough as nails and yet as funny as you can get. He was my Mom’s best friend and visited her almost daily when she was almost house-bound, looking after my Dad in his last few years.
He could tell a story with such passion and expression, and when he got excited, the tone of his voice would rise and he would start to speak faster. You knew the punch line was coming soon.
When I was a kid, he told a great story to my brothers David and Lauchie, and me. Apparently a neighbour had a path across Rannie’s field, and that was fine, but he when he was crossing Rannie’s fence, he was bending it over badly. Rannie’s cattle soon found this bent over section and began to walk over and out themselves. And cattle on the road was always a big concern in those days. So Rannie devised a plan, where he would hook up an electric fence wire and wait in hiding till the “intruder” stretched himself over the fence. He would then pull the electric switch at just the right moment, and you can imagine what would happen next. As young boys, we were in stitches over this story and we laughed just as much when re-told to ourselves over the years.
He was tough too: there is a story that he and his brother cleaned out a whole bar in Niagara, after someone made an uncomplimentary comment about Maritimers. The story goes that he and Jocksey knocked out half a dozen of the locals that evening. They kept at it till there was no more challengers. The story goes on to say that during the fight, another less rowdy Judiquer was kept busy piling up the knocked out or injured bodies like they were cordwood. Recently I asked him if the story was true, and he replied that “it wasn’t a big as the story had it”. So modest! Most people would tend to expand on it a bit over time, but not him.
Another story of Uncle Rannie was when he was in the TB hospital in Kentville and had surgery to remove 1 and 1/2 lobes of his lung. In those days lung surgery was a major thing; they had to cut through the back muscle, then saw though the shoulder blade, and then pry apart the ribs from behind. Can you imagine the pain afterwards? Well, after the surgery, the doctor came to check on him and said, “my goodness, Mr MacDonald, I have sawn open a lot of of guys in my days, but I never had to cut and saw through so much bone and muscle; we barely get through” and Rannie answered back, “well Doctor, if you had to pull 150 lobster traps by hand, six days a week, half your life, you would have muscles on your back too”
In his latter years Rannie became very wise and thoughtful. He could always be depended upon to give good advice on this or that situation. I guess, with the tough life he had, he knew the score.
My whole family, of Peter and Isobel Rankin’s kids will miss him immensely. He was always so kind and generous to us. We pray he will get an honoured seat in the world hereafter.
Goodbye for now Champ!
My Condolences to Marie and family. I had many great yarns with Rannie over the years, he will be missed!