Richard Allen Rankin

Richard Allen Rankin, 67, of Ammon, passed away June 12, 2022, at his home in Ammon, Idaho. He was under the care of Hands of Hope Hospice.

Richard was born July 4, 1954, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, to Allen Rankin and Betty Jane Crawford. He graduated from Winter High School in Winter, Wisconsin. He acquired a BS in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, MS in Chemistry from University of Idaho, and multiple Doctorate Degrees from British charter schools.

On November 7, 1980, he married Janice Marie Cotterell in the Idaho Falls, Idaho Temple. They were blessed with five children, Joshua, Christopher, Lindsay, Brian, and Andrew. Richard also has one child, Collin, from a previous marriage.

Richard enjoyed a historic career as a Technology Transfer Professional with more than 35 years experience in the development, management, and commercialization of innovative technology. Richard served in several roles in technology transfer and commercialization, including most recently the Director of the Innovation and Partnerships Office at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and previously at Idaho National Laboratory as the head of the INL Technology Transfer Office, as well as managing the Licensing, Business Development, Intellectual Property and International activities of the Laboratory, and as a Principal Investigator and Manager in the R&D organizations. A recipient of the INL Lifetime Achievement Award for Inventorship, Rich was inducted into the INL Inventors Hall of Fame in 2003. Amongst others, he has received an R&D 100 Award, a George Westinghouse Innovation Award for the Westinghouse Corporations’ top inventors, and a George Westinghouse Signature Award for engineering excellence.

He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served faithfully as a Bishop, an Area Seventy, and served on the High Council and with the Young Men for many years. He spent many years serving with the Boy Scouts of America and instilled a love of scouting in his sons. He was an honored recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. He enjoyed amateur radio, modern weaponry, chemistry, spending time outdoors, traveling with his family, and performing family history work. He had a deep love of experimenting and learning about the world around him, and strived to instill that passion in all around him, especially his children.

Richard is survived by his wife, Janice Rankin; son, Collin Rankin; son, Joshua (Charlee) Rankin; son, Christopher Rankin; daughter, Lindsay Rankin; son, Brian (Emily) Rankin; son, Andrew (Kristen) Rankin; brother, Robert Rankin; grandchildren, Aliyah Rankin, Ryder Rankin, Austin Rankin, Abigail Rankin, Bailee Rankin, Claire Rankin, Amelia Rankin, Liam Rankin, Mila Rankin, Aria Ritthaler, Benjamin Rankin, and Brooklyn Rankin.  

He was preceded in death by his parents, Allen Rankin and Betty Rankin.  

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Sand Creek 2nd Ward, 2545 Mesa Street, with Bishop Andrew Trane officiating. The family will visit with friends Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Brickyard Event Center, 1025 S. Ammon Road, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Burial will be in the Ammon Cemetery.

The funeral services will be broadcast live here.