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GREEN BAY, WI – Mary Kay Ranta, 81, & James “Jim” Ranta, 82, passed away three weeks apart--Mary Kay on August 31, 2026, & Jim on September 16, 2026.
MARY KAY was born August 1, 1945, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula & was adopted by Fred & Mary Winter. She lived life in her own way. Early in her career, Mary Kay was the proud owner & operator of Jack & Jill’s, a children’s clothing store in downtown Marquette, Michigan. She later became a Language Arts teacher, retiring in her early fifties. Mary Kay will be remembered for her quick wit, sharp sense of humor, generosity, & wonderfully unfiltered way of saying exactly what she thought. She loved a good conversation, a good book, a good laugh, & an Old Fashioned. Her personality was impossible to miss, & you always knew exactly where she stood. Mary Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Fred & Mary Winter.
JIM was born June 30, 1944, in Negaunee, Michigan, to Esther & Leslie Ranta. A natural athlete in his younger years, he remained a sports fan throughout his life. He loved playing golf & cards with his longtime group of buddies & could often be found cheering on the Green Bay Packers, watching basketball, or following a golf tournament. He also had a surprising talent for bar games, particularly pool. He was perhaps the most unlikely pool shark you could ever encounter. Chocolate chip WALNUT cookies were his Achilles heel, & he loved gambling, especially in Las Vegas. Jim was musically gifted & could play both the accordion & piano. But perhaps his greatest gifts were his ability to make people feel welcome & his wonderful sense of humor. With Jim, you could count on a warm greeting, a great hug & plenty of laughs. He was a charmer, quick-witted, refreshingly direct & unusually open & emotional for a man of his generation. He made people feel comfortable simply by being himself. Jim worked as an insurance adjuster until retiring in his late sixties. Mary Kay & Jim adored every dog they had over the years & would have done just about anything for them. Sammy & most recently Bear, held particularly special places in their hearts. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Esther & Leslie Ranta, & just three weeks before his own passing, his beloved Mary Kay.
MARY KAY & JIM are survived by their sons, Rick Ranta & wife Amber; Scott Ranta & partner Cindy; granddaughter Taylor Johnson & husband Brady; Jim’s sisters, Bizz Diuble & husband Larry; Judy Herbert & husband Al.
In keeping with their wishes, they were cremated & there will be no formal memorial service. Instead, family will gather in Marquette by the shores of Lake Superior to celebrate their lives, share memories & send them off with fireworks, as Mary Kay requested. Two lives. Sixty years together. And, in the end, together again.