George William Ranta
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[George William Ranta, age 87, of Pinckneyville, Ill., passed away on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 at 3:39 am in Pinckneyville Community Hospital, Pinckneyville, Ill.
George was born on Jan. 5, 1925 in Fitchburg, Mass., the only child of Jalo L. and Katri (Salonen) Ranta. He attended Fitchburg Public Schools and graduated from Fitchburg High School in 1943 after which he graduated from Tufts University, Medford, Mass. in 1953 with a degree in Economics. While employed, he attended the MBA program at the University of Massachusetts. Upon retiring after 22 years as administrator of Pinckneyville Community Hospital, he received the Master of Public Affairs degree and Master of Science degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
On September 9, 1956, he married Echo Myatt Cook at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Leominster, Mass. and she survives. Soon after their marriage, George became Executive Director of the Berkshire County Health Association in Pittsfield, Mass., where he was very involved in consolidation of health services. He then went to administration at the Middlesex County Hospital in Waltham, Mass., where he was also involved in consolidation of health services. During the 22 years at Pinckneyville Community Hospital, the hospital was rated the most complex small hospital in a four state region by a national accounting firm. The services, at one time, included everything from obstetrics to a Medicare approved Skilled Nursing Facility of which he was the first Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. George served three years as trustee of the Illinois Hospital Association as well as being a member of the Region V Hospital Association. He was a member of the Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission for 14 years representing Perry County. George also served on the Advisory Board at the College of Technical Careers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
George has been a Rotarian for 50 years. He became a member in Pittsfield, Mass., then Lexington, Mass., then in Pinckneyville, Ill. and finally in Du Quoin, Ill. He was a member of the Pinckneyville Chamber of Commerce since coming to Pinckneyville and a Charter Member of the Perry County Jail Museum. He has been active in the community and Red Cross Blood drives for over 40 years.
George is survived by his wife, Echo Ranta of Pinckneyville, Ill.; their sponsored child, Melinda Julkiram of Manilla Philippines; cousins, Glen (Patty) Pine of Templeton, Mass.; Ruthann (Adrien) Swanson of Minneapolis, Minn. and Kay Niemi of Sacramento, Calif.; the children and grandchildren of the cousins as well as special friends, the William C. Templetons, the William Nortons and Gloria Conroy and good neighbors.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services were held at Pyatt Funeral Home, Pinckneyville, Ill. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. with Reverend Jim Barnett officiating. Interment was in Mueller Hill Cemetery, Pinckneyville, Ill.
Friends called at Pyatt Funeral Home on Monday, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and again on Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, Pinckneyville, Ill.
For more information or to sign an online guest register, please visit www.pyattfuneralhome.com.