Alain Ranwez

Alain Daniel Ranwez passed away on 20 April 2022, at the age of 77.

Alain was born in German-occupied Paris, France, 25 June 1944, during WWII. Because of the stressful situation, Alain’s mother was unable to nurse, so for the first six months of life, he was given only sugar-water!  His parents–Henriette and Eugene–and their friends referred to him as petit champignon–the little mushroom–because he seemed to grow without much nourishment!

But this petit champignon eventually received real food and grew! He and his parents moved to Canada when he was 5, and over the next several years moved to Maine–where he went to school and worked with his Uncle Johnny as a lobster fisherman–and they eventually settled in Kearny, New Jersey. At Kearny High School, he played football, basketball, wrestling, and track, and–after graduation in 1963–attended Montclair State College where he played football and met Kathleen (Kathy) Purzycki.

Sparks flew quickly, and–a year after graduation–Kathy and Alain were married 10 August 1968 in Manville, NJ.

Over the next 7 years, Kathy and Alain had two daughters and Alain completed his Doctorate at the University of Missouri.

They moved to Denver, Colorado in 1972 when he was offered a teaching position at Metropolitan State College of Denver (now Metro State University) where he taught French for the next 41 years.

Teaching was a passion! But that was just one area. He also loved the theater, performed for many years with the Alliance Francaise, reviewed books, drew, painted, cheered for the Broncos, played petanque and pickleball, loved to travel, led summer college courses in the south of France, and hosted big summer BBQs where you could hear the French music playing for blocks!

If Alain had a love language, it was food! He loved cooking, and he loved cooking for others; it was a way of showing his appreciation for other people, including his family. Some of his signature dishes included boeuf bourgignon, quiches, and–a family favorite–shell pasta with cheese! (It’s yummier than it sounds.)  He would plan holiday dinners weeks in advance–taking time to write out the various courses on his legal pad, but he’d rarely ever use a recipe! His cooking advice for his daughters growing up? “Just play with it.” (Not very quantifiable… ahem.)

He had a booming laugh, loud sneezes, a quirky sense of humor, a silly laugh, big smile, and had a flair for the dramatic–especially when he was rehearsing for a play! He was not above rehearsing his lines at the dinner table.

Alain is survived by his wife, Kathleen Ranwez, two daughters and their spouses, Jennifer (Nathan), and Danielle (Ryan), and three grandchildren: Cassidy, Zachary, and Zoe.

A memorial for family and friends will be held Wednesday, April 27 @ 11 a.m. at Horan & McConaty Mortuary, 80th & Wadsworth, Arvada, CO.  A reception with light refreshments to follow.