Golden State Today

Dan Ransom, a staff member celebrated for his selflessness and mentorship and described as a devoted father, died on July 27 at the age of 48.

Ransom was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and was one of eight children. He attended high school in the Sacramento area and held several software development and IT positions before joining the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office at UC Davis in 2017. In 2020, he joined the School of Veterinary Medicine as director of application development.

His colleagues in the School of Veterinary Medicine remembered Ransom as a mentor and an effective employee. They praised his inclusiveness and recalled events designed to recognize others.

“Maybe it’s silly, but I think one of my favorite things was how Dan would coordinate regular ‘showcase’ events for his team to be able to show off the work that they were doing,” said Chris Brandt, chief information officer for the School of Veterinary Medicine. “At the end of each of these sessions, Dan would host a short trivia/quiz session on specific IT topics (security, privacy, etc.) as a competition for the folks on the call. The winner would get a fun little plastic thumbs-up trophy. He always took advantage of the time we had together to share information in a fun way.”

Nicholas Ilacqua, a programmer supervisor for the school, noted that Ransom built community during the onset of remote work in 2020 by sharing riddles and puzzles through Microsoft Teams. Ilacqua also learned much from Ransom about UC Davis due to “the crazy amount of info he had stowed away” and because Ransom genuinely desired to help people.

Brandon Edwards, another programmer supervisor in Veterinary Medicine, described Ransom as a “great listener,” inclusive, kind, and empathetic.

“He was a great sounding board and mentor; he would offer helpful advice and just generally made my day better whenever I talked with him,” Edwards said.

When Lauren McDiarmid was chair of Staff Assembly, Ransom stepped into the role without hesitation after her chair-elect left the university.

“His willingness to take on this challenge without skipping a beat was a testament to his dedication,” McDiarmid said.

Once Ransom took over as Staff Assembly chair for 2023-24, he helped create a salary and compensation report that impressed McDiarmid.

“I remember reviewing the initial draft with him and being astounded when he mentioned that it had only taken him a couple of days to put together data analysis from multiple years of salary data,” she said. “He had an extraordinary ability to interpret data clearly and efficiently, making it accessible for decision-making.”

McDiarmid also recalled lighter moments with Ransom like when he played an instrumental version of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” while waiting for callers to join his first general Staff Assembly meeting as chair. She noted how important family was to him: He "spoke about the importance of UC Davis as an employer that supports a family-friendly workplace for all types of family structures," she said.

Ransom earned a master’s degree from California State University Fullerton in 2019. His wife Judy Ransom shared insights into their personal life:

“He just wanted to make us happy — that was his goal in life,” she said. Describing his attitude: “‘Whatever you guys want, we’ll do it.’”

The family traveled extensively including trips to Portugal, Spain, Bermuda among other destinations. Judy noted that he enjoyed showing their boys different cultures.

“When they were home," Judy added "Ransom could usually be found in his home office lined with science fiction and history books."

Dan met Judy while shopping for watches at Roseville Galleria in 2004; they married in 2005. She described him as having been organized even planning trips meticulously ensuring she only needed pack her suitcase.

“He’s helping keep us strong,” Judy said reflecting on how well-prepared he left everything behind making her feel reassured even now adding “I hear him; I do what Dan would do.”

A celebration-of-life event will be held at 11 AM Saturday (Aug 17) Wheatland Community Center located at101 C Street Wheatland More details available via Staff Assembly website

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