Devoted to his family

WATERBURY - It is with profound sadness and extraordinarily heavy hearts that the family of Francis J. “Ranny” Mulhall, 94, share the news of his peaceful passing on August 17, 2026 surrounded by family in the house he and his family have called home for over 60 years.

Ranny was born April 17, 1932, in Waterbury, the second son of the late Joseph F. and Julia (O’Dea) Mulhall. As a child, Ranny grew up on Luke Street in the Washington Hill neighborhood attending St. Francis Xavier School. He and his 2 brothers – Billy and Jimmy - formed an enduring bond that would be the foundation of his lifelong focus on family. He graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1950 and soon thereafter enrolled in the United States Marine Corps attending bootcamp in Quantico, VA. He proudly served his country in the Korean War and considered himself a Marine for life. In 1955, he marred the love of his life – Barbara Traver. They were married for 62 years and together, they would raise 7 children, calling the East End of Waterbury their home up until the time of their passing. Over the years, the family grew and they welcomed numerous grandchildren and several great grandchildren.

Ranny was a great cook and entertainer – the blue home on Beecher Ave. was the center of life for the large Mulhall family – Saturday nights for “red gravy”, holiday dinners and the annual Thanksgiving morning party Ranny hosted every year until 2025. As the family grew, the events and parties also grew – including Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties for many years. Everyone was welcome and countless memories were made. With a large and extended family, Ranny wore many hats and took on several nicknames – Pumpkin, FJ, Uncle Frank, Poppy, Grampy, Pops, G Pop, and Uncle Pumpkin to name a few. He loved and cherished family trips to Misquamicut during the summers with the extended Mulhall family and the annual family picnic with the Traver family. Ranny was a fiercely family-focused and loyal individual. If you were a friend, you were a friend for life.

Ranney was employed for over 40 years at the Southern New England Telephone as an installer and technician. There he made several friendships that would span decades. After retiring, he settled into the next stage of his life, where family remained the center of his focus – traveling and vacationing and taking an active role in his grandchildren’s lives. He was a staunch supporter of UConn Women’s Basketball and a season ticket holder for several seasons. Faith was important to him and over the years he was a regular communicant of several Waterbury parishes - St. Francis Xavier, Immaculate Conception, Saints Peter & Paul and most recently St. Leo’s which he attended regularly with our lifelong family friend, Nancy Galvin.

Ranny is survived by his children – Stephen and his wife, Donna Marie Mirabilio, of Prospect; Eileen and her husband, David Pescetelli, of Wolcott; Thomas and his wife, Mary, of Watertown; Michael and his wife, Anna, of Fairfield and Bridget and her husband, James Bothroyd, of Thomaston. His extended family includes numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews. Ranny was predeceased by his wife Barbara, his sons Joseph F. and Neil P. Mulhall, his grandson Marc Francis Mulhall and his great grandson Ethan James Harrison. He was also predeceased by his brothers William J. and James A. Mulhall.

Funeral services for Mr. Mulhall will be held on Friday, August 21, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. from Casey’s Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 1987 East Main St Waterbury, to St. Francis Xavier Church, 625 Baldwin St Waterbury, to celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the Mulhall family and pay their respects on Friday morning from 8:00 a.m. until leaving for church at 10:30 a.m at the funeral home. In this time of reflection, the family welcomes all who knew and loved Ranny to share messages of condolence, comfort, and cherished memories. Please visit the funeral home's tribute page at www.caseyfunerals.com to connect with the family or honor their loved one’s memory with floral arrangements and other gifts of condolence.