Obituary

RANKIN, Alexander McLaren
June 18, 1927 – Edmonton, AB
October 31, 2016 – Calgary, AB

Alex Rankin beloved husband of Julia “Judy” Rankin of Calgary passed away on Monday, October 31, 2016 at the age of 89 years.

Alex was a resident of the Fairview Community since 1959. He worked as a reporter at CKUA, CFCN and Oilweek Magazine. Alex volunteered in the Fairview Community and McDougall United Church. Alex is survived by his loving wife Julia Sarah “Judy” and son James Alexander McLaren “Jim”. He was predeceased by a brother Donald, his parents Margaret and Alexander Rankin, Judy’s parents Dorothy and James Liddell.

Funeral Services will be held at McDougall United Church (8516 Athabasca Street SE, Calgary, AB) on Thursday, November 10, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.

In living memory of Alex Rankin, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Park Memorial, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W. Calgary, AB, T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.

Even though he lived in Calgary, Alex rarely missed an Edmonton Broadcasters Club Luncheon until just a few years before his death. Seeing the CKUA mention on my name tag, he told me about his work there as a Continuity Writer. In an era when every word spoken on-air by an announcer was scripted by writers like Alex.

Jon Pearkins

Sign-offs:

Broadcast Dialogue
November 10, 2016

Alexander “Alex” Rankin, 89, on Oct 31 in Calgary, AB. Rankin started at CKUA Edmonton in 1946 as a recording engineer and doing continuity. A political junkie at heart, he eventually became the local political reporter covering city hall and the legislature. In 1955, he moved to CFCN (now known as CTV Calgary), starting out as the city beat reporter. He rose through the ranks to become news director in the early 1960s, leaving in 1967 to become an editor at Oilweek Magazine until his retirement at age 62. In the pre-internet age, Rankin was passionate about statistics and kept a set of index cards on every oil well in Canada. His job with Oilweek also garnered him invitations to travel including a series of oil exploration tours to The Arctic.