Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

November 8, 2026

"Whenever you want to see me, always look at the sunset; I will be there." - Grace Ogot

CHARLOTTE – L. Russell Ranson III, 57, died unexpectedly on Sunday, November 8, 2026, doing what he loved to do most and surrounded, as he had been throughout his life, by people who loved him.

He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 21, 1969, to Lloyd Russell Ranson, Jr. and Mary Virginia Harrison Ranson. The family moved to Birmingham, Alabama, before landing in Charlotte, North Carolina, which would become Russell’s forever home.  Russell attended Carmel Academy which merged with Charlotte Country Day School in the fall of 1980.  While at Country Day, Russell made lifelong friends who still cherish memories of Past Time and waterskiing on Lake Norman. He also wrestled for Coach Rick Stack, who instilled in him a "never give up" attitude that carried him through life.  Russell was a member of Boy Scout Troop 17 which was chartered out of Christ Episcopal Church in 1943 and became known as the troop that set off on the biggest and best adventures.  He earned his Eagle in 1985 at the age of 16.  Russell would go on to become a troop leader prior to starting a family and could not have been more proud when his son Rusty followed in his footsteps and earned his Eagle in the same troop at the same age, 16.  The very virtues Russell abided by as a scout he continued to exude as a man.  He was trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

After high school, Russell then went on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1991. Russell participated in annual rafting trips with his brothers for years post-college which put him right where he wanted to be, on the river.

While Russell pursued his college degree and traveled abroad to London with Professor Gerald Unks who was to become a mentor, he knew as early as high school that he would have a successful career in real estate when a guest speaker shared that to do so only requires a fourth-grade education.  Russell’s career began in the Residential Division of the Crosland Group Charlotte shortly after his graduation. Crosland’s Land Acquisitions Manager at the time, Doug Boone, saw something special in Russell and, despite his baby face, knew he was wise beyond his years.  He worked at Crosland for 20 years prior to co-founding RK Investors.  

On Valentine’s Day 1995, Russell met his future partner in crime at a charity event hosted by Second String Santas in Charlotte and the rest is history.  Russell proposed to Anne Brooke Hobbs on Valentine’s Day two years later after driving through an ice storm to officially ask for her hand.  They were married at Saint John’s Lynchburg, Virginia, on September 20, 1997.

Russell was beyond an outdoorsman.  He often referred to nature as his church.  He loved when he could introduce a friend or family member to his passions – hunting, fishing, and most recently, driven shoots.  Russell took great joy in others’ success.  He would beam from ear-to-ear when someone else got their limit, landed a record rainbow or filled their game card.

Besides cheering on individuals in their pursuits, Russell gave of his time, talent and treasure to causes he cared about.  He hosted veterans on both the Watauga and Boone’s Fork Rivers through Project Healing Waters.  He supported Anne in her passion for literacy by funding a full-time position at Augustine Literacy Project.  And, most recently, he was making headway in the area of mental health, by hiring a firm to help him navigate state regulations on teletherapy. Russell was determined to change the laws at first the state level and then nationally so that any individual working with a therapist could continue to do so despite their location in the country or abroad.

If asked what he considered his greatest life accomplishment, Russell would without hesitation claim his children, L. Russell (Rusty) Ranson IV and Georgia Carlyle Ranson.  He was not simply their father, he was their teacher, their role model, their cheerleader and their protector.  

Russell was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents; his mother, Mary; his niece, Catherine Moore; and his stepbrother, Julien Booth.

Russell is survived by his wife of 29 years, Anne; his son, Rusty and daughter, Georgia; his father, Russell Ranson Jr. (Anne); his sister, Ellen Ranson Moore (Brian); his sister-in-law, Kelly Alexander Booth; his nieces, Nora and Anna Booth and Sarah Moore; and his nephew William Hobbs IV.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, November 20, 2026, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1412 Providence Road, Charlotte, North Carolina.  The family will receive friends following the service in All Saints Hall.  The service will be livestreamed through the church website at: https://christchurchcharlotte.org/watch-live-funerals/ for those unable to attend in person.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Jed Foundation online at jedfoundation.org/tribute or by sending a check to: The Jed Foundation, Attn: Development Department, P.O. Box 412945, Boston, MA 02241.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606.  Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.