Ranel Benjamin Sinclair (Mas Ran), age 89, passed away peacefully on September 22, 2022. He was born in Westmoreland, Jamaica.
He was a dear and devoted husband to Beryl, and honored father to Rodcliffe and Cedric. Ranel was born to Josiah and Charlotte and served as the protective elder sibling to Pearline and John. He dedicated his life to service, first as a police officer in Jamaica. Ranel also served in the Bahamian military before seeking opportunity in America and settling in Boston, Massachusetts.
In Boston, he answered the call of service again as an unsung hero of the Civil Rights movement. Ranel transported young children of color to school through the height of Boston’s tumultuous busing crisis as a Boston Public School bus driver. He bravely faced the darkest parts of men to ensure access and education for all of Boston’s young people. His acts of service and kindness extended into his family life. Scores of members from the Sinclair, Miller, and Stephens families were able to come to America for a better life through the support and guidance of him and his wife.
Ranel was a reserved but gregarious man. Behind his stern look and quiet demeanor was a lifetime of humorous stories and sharp quips. However, he was always a family man first and seemed most alive on family outings – whether back home to Jamaica, a trip to an amusement park with the extended family, or a local fishing hole with his boys.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, granddaughter; Rowan, grandson; Rohan, his two siblings, and a host of nephews, nieces, and cousins.
Relatives and friends are invited to Ranel's funeral service on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at 10:00 AM at Hyde Park Presbyterian, 1109 River Street, Hyde Park, MA. Interment is in New Calvary Cemetery, 800 Harvard Street, Boston, 02126.