Entrepreneur, philanthropist John G. Rangos Sr. dies just before 92nd birthday
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Entrepreneur and philanthropist John G. Rangos Sr. died Wednesday, one week shy of his 92nd birthday.
Rangos died following a brief illness, according to a news release from the John G. Rangos Sr. Charitable Foundation. The release said he died surrounded by his children — John Rangos Jr., Alex Rangos and Jenica Rangos Welch.
Rangos was an entrepreneur who launched multiple corporations — including businesses in environmental services, security and technology — in the 1970s.
The first company he founded, Chambers Development Inc., would later go public and merge with USA Waste. In the late 1990s it merged into industry giant Waste Management Inc.
Spurred by his entrepreneurial successes, Rangos focused on philanthropy, pursuing “his lifelong passion for giving back,” the foundation said.
He founded the John G. Rangos Sr. Charitable Foundation in 1987, expanding its partners and programs for more than three decades. Evidence of his philanthropic efforts are visible throughout Pittsburgh, at sites like The Rangos Research Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, The Rangos School of Health Sciences at Duquesne University, Rangos Hall at Carnegie Mellon University and The Rangos Giant Cinema at the Carnegie Science Center.
“John G. Rangos, Sr.’s vision, compassion and generous heart improved the lives and futures of generations of people in this region and around the world,” Duquesne University President Ken Gormley said. “Although he never attended Duquesne, Mr. Rangos was a towering figure in the life of our campus.”
Rangos focused much of his charitable efforts toward advancing medical science, supporting education and improving quality of life for children and families throughout the region.
“It is not an overstatement to say that John Rangos, Sr. was one of the great philanthropists and visionaries in the history of Pittsburgh,” Gormley said.
A longstanding relationship with Johns Hopkins Medicine sparked the dedication of the Rangos Life Science Building at Johns Hopkins University, a professorship of Adult Medicine, an Award for Creativity in Cancer Discovery and a partnership between Johns Hopkins and the University of Patras in Greece.
Born in Steubenville in 1929, Rangos grew up in the Great Depression. He studied at the Houston School of Business, but interrupted his education to join the military, serving in the Army from 1951 till 1954. He later worked with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to create the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, for which he was the first chairman.
Rangos, who was proud of his Greek heritage, was the founder and former chairman of the International Orthodox Christian Charities, according to his obituary. He was an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, the church’s highest lay honor.
Funeral arrangements will be private.
Memorial contributions can be made to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.