Albert Raneo Was All About Community

 HARWICH – Albert Raneo, a longtime contributor to the community and the values that have served it so well over the past century, passed away on Dec. 30. He was 92.

 Mr. Raneo served the town in an official capacity for 25 years as elected highway surveyor and appointed director of highways and maintenance. Upon retirement, he immediately dove into a pool of volunteerism, assisting the Harwich Historical Society, Brooks Academy Museum and the farmers market.

 Proud of his heritage, he also worked tirelessly to educate people about the history and contributions the Cape Verdean community has made to the town. He participated in and assisted with the Cape Verdean Heritage Oral History Project and made presentations in local schools on Cape Verdean culture and contributions to the cranberry industry.

 Mr. Raneo’s passing was announced in the Dec. 30 select board meeting by member Donald Howell, who praised Mr. Raneo’s commitment to the town and his dedication to the Cape Verdean community.

“It’s a personal loss for me, and an even greater loss for the town,” Howell said. “He provided a remarkable legacy to the town of Harwich and we’re going to miss him. The town has lost another friend who could provide valuable insight to our past. 

“What truly impressed me about Albert was how he could remain so upbeat about the present and the future even though he had to overcome a lot of barriers in the past that would have made others bitter.” 

 When honoring Mr. Raneo as Cape Verdean of the Year in 2022 at festivities at Brooks Park, his cousin Angelina Raneo Chilaka said, “Albert’s definition of a good citizen is a person who never has to be asked to do something, a caring person who is not afraid to be involved, the person who does something not looking for recognition, and [enjoys] working and being with people.” 

Demonstrating the commitment to others, each Wednesday for many years, Mr. Raneo would visit The Chronicle office shortly after the new edition arrived and pick up eight copies of the newspaper which he distributed to elders in the community who could not get out themselves to pick up a paper.

 “I try to do as much as I can to help people,” Mr. Raneo said. “I do it because I want to, it’s in my heart.” 

 While serving as highway director he established the town’s first swap shop at the transfer station, now known as the Treasure Chest.

 “Albert was family to me and there were so many years of interaction,” said former state representative Shirley Gomes, Mr. Raneo’s sister-in-law. “While I was on the board of selectmen, he was highway surveyor, and we worked well together. His strength was how well he worked together with other people. He was a gift to this community.”

 Mr. Raneo’s commitment to the community resulted in a number of recognitions, including Outstanding Young Man of America in 1968 by the US Jaycees, Citizen of the Year by the Gala Cape Verdean American Club of Providence, and Citizen of the Year by the Cape Cod NAACP in 1990. He served on the board of directors and as president of the Barnstable County Highway Association and was elected to the board of directors of the American Public Works Association. 

 Mr. Raneo was also a high school basketball referee for 25 years and was a lifetime member and president of the International Association of Basketball Officials. He served for seven years as a member of the town’s recreation commission and was inducted into the Harwich High School Hall of Fame in 2007.  He was inducted into the town’s Hall of Fame in May 2024.

“But perhaps his crowning accomplishment was in arranging for an official visit of Carbo Verde President/Mayor Francisco Tavares to Harwich to meet the selectmen and the community of Harwich,” his Hall of Fame plaque reads.
 Mr. Raneo was born in Harwich, the son of Henry Brooks Raneo and Eva M. (Andrews) Raneo. He is predeceased by his parents and sister Marilyn (Raneo) Galvin.
 Mr. Raneo graduated from Harwich High School and went on to work for Colonial Airlines. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951. After leaving the Air Force, he worked for the M.F. Roach Co. from 1954 to 1970 doing road construction. In 1970, he was elected as highway surveyor and  director of public works, a position he held until he retired in 1994.

He loved sports, including golf, winning many trophies in tournaments, the Boston Bruins, the Red Sox and the Boston Celtics. Mr. Raneo loved to travel. He wanted to see the world and he did, including Bermuda, Europe, Russia, China, and South America. However, his dreams were fulfilled when he visited the Cape Verde Islands of Fogo and Brava, the home of his grandparents and family.

”He cried as he walked the same streets as his grandparents and saw the villages that they lived in many years ago,” his obituary reads.
 Mr. Raneo is survived by his wife of 70 years, Josephine J. (Galvin) Raneo, and his children Albert Jr., Cheryl and Brian; grandchildren Joshua, Michael, Brianna and Erik; and great grandchildren Brandon, Jorja, Emma, Nathan, Noah and Chase; as well as many, cousins, nieces and nephews. 

“Family was everything to Albert,” according to his obituary. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Brooks Academy or a charity of one’s choice. Visiting hours will be on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 246 Main St. in West Harwich, followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m. and burial at Island Pond Cemetery.