Peter Dunn-Rankin Obituary
Published by the Honolulu
Star-Adverstiser  University of Hawaii Professor Emeritus Peter Dunn Rankin,
90, passed away November 16, 2019 at his home in Hawaii Kai. Pete was a
truly amazing man with a broad spectrum of interests and talents. He
excelled as an educator, artist, inventor, writer, sportsman, husband, and
father. Pete was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, on November 16, 1929. He
spent much of his childhood with his brothers, Derek and Jonathan, and his
good friend, Larry Fuller, exploring the many fishing grounds in Miami,
Sarasota, and Winter Park, Florida. Pete attended Florida State University,
where he was a mainstay on its NCAA swimming team and made many lifelong
friends, including Ken Brewer and Joby Kidd. More importantly, it was there
he met the love of his life, Patricia Ann Cummins, whom he married on May
28, 1955. After graduating with a Masters in Psychology, he entered Officer
Candidate School and was assigned as a naval officer to the Explosive
Ordnance Disposal Unit in Port Townsend, Washington. While stationed there,
he invented a cable splice permitting the efficient installation of
deep-water magnetic indicator loops to detect enemy ships and submarines.
After leaving the Navy, Pete became a high school teacher in Sarasota,
Florida, then earned a Masters in Mathematics from Louisiana State
University followed by a Doctorate in Educational Psychology from Florida
State University. In 1964, Dr. Dunn-Rankin moved to Oahu, Hawaii, with Pat
and their three young children, having accepted a position at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa. As a professor at UH for over 40 years, Pete
served at various times as Associate Dean of Research, Acting Dean of the
College of Education, and Chairman of the Department of Educational
Psychology. Pete's boyhood passion for fishing expanded exponentially after
moving to Oahu. He went on countless fishing expeditions to nearly all the
Hawaiian and Micronesian islands, often accompanied by his good friend,
Jeff Kohn. Inspired by these experiences, Pete invented the "PILI" and
"SuperLolo" surface popping lures, which he used to set seven all tackle
and line class world records. This success led to overwhelming demand for
his handmade lures and greatly influenced other surface lure designers.
Pete wrote numerous articles for Hawaii Fishing News and Salt Water
Sportsman sharing his adventures, knowledge, and love of fishing. His 1994
book, Spinning the Reefs, is still the definitive guide for top-water reef
fishermen. Pete was equally passionate about his research work in
educational psychology. Most of his research focused on the elements of
successful reading practices and the benefits of reading to children at an
early age. The establishment of the Eye Tracker Laboratory at the
University of Hawaii was based on his discovery of the connection between
reading skill and the distribution of visual focal points. Pete was an
active member and advocate of the Hawaii Educational Research Association
for over four decades. Another of Pete's accomplishments was his
breakthrough work with FSU Professor Frank Wilcoxon on the true
distribution of the range of rank sums in statistical analysis. Peter
published over 200 research articles and papers and co-authored Scaling
Methods, a well-regarded college textbook. After retirement, Pete remained
active in academic research and mentored numerous graduate and doctoral
students. In 2015, he collaborated on development of the "Obesity Quotient"
and promoted its use in improving infant health care. In 2017, he proposed
and modeled a solution to remove contaminants from the Ala Wai Canal in
Honolulu. Pete was also an accomplished artist, athlete, and storyteller.
His paintings, sculptures, and other artwork uniquely captured the marine
life, scenery, and people he encountered in his life and travels throughout
the Pacific. He hosted five one-man art shows and won numerous awards. Pete
was a skilled swimmer, golfer, and tennis player. He represented Hawaii on
several occasions at national golf and swimming competitions. At the age of
74, he was a finalist for Hawaii's senior athlete of the year, having won
five gold medals in golf and swimming at the 2003 Hawaiian Senior Olympics.
Pete was an excellent storyteller. His family and friends greatly enjoyed
his tales of youthful adventures, as well as his numerous short stories and
poems. Pete was proud of his family, all of whom have had successful
careers in their own right. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dr.
Patricia Dunn-Rankin, children Denise Cordeiro-Bennett (Steve), Derek
Dunn-Rankin (Katherine Martin), and Dean Dunn-Rankin (Patti), as well as
seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Pete's older brother Derek
Dunn-Rankin, younger brother Jonathan Dunn-Rankin, and younger sisters
Faith Fortune and Nancy Holmes, preceded him in death. A memorial service
will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl
Crater at a later date. The family asks that Peter be honored, in lieu of
flowers, by a contribution to the Peter and Patricia Dunn Rankin
Scholarship in Educational Psychology through the University of Hawaii
Foundation.
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