Patricia Ann Rankin

Patricia Ann Rankin died Dec. 2 after a lengthy illness. She was 67.

Rankin was born March 9, 1950, in Newhall, California. She moved to Livermore in 1952 where she lived until her death.

She attended the Livermore schools K-12 where she excelled in athletics. She graduated from Livermore High School in 1968. She was a member of Job's Daughters and later became a member of Eastern Star. Rankin attended Chabot College where she received an associate’s degree. In 1969, while cheerleading for Chabot College, she met the student body president, Dennis Rankin and married him Nov. 6, 1969. They lived in Livermore where they raised their two children.

Rankin worked for the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District and later the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she retired in 2010. Over the years, she also worked for the Valley Times supervising many neighborhood children delivering newspapers and managed the Rhonewood Cabana Club where she started the swim team.

Family came first with Rankin. She loved spending time with her family, especially her four grandchildren. She also enjoyed watching the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants. She had fun spending many hours crocheting blankets for her family.

Rankin is preceded in death by her father, Harry Lee Spears and mother, Mary Ethel Spears.

She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Dennis Rankin; children, Tammy Ann Rankin-Conover and Timothy Rankin; grandchildren Taylor Ann Conover, Ty Rankin, Tatum Conover and Taryn Rankin; in-laws, Clark Conover and Denise Rankin; siblings, Richard Spears, Jack Spears, Beverali Fifield and Jesse Spears; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life was recently held at Sunset Community Church in Livermore,

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Altamont Creek Elementary School in Livermore where her grandchildren attend school.