Rano A. Mueller, 91, of 2415 N. Sheridan Road, Peoria, died at 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at Methodist Hospital in Peoria, Ill., surrounded by his loving family.
The son of Henry and Selma (Fuhrhop) Mueller, he was born Aug. 7, 1934, in Steeleville, Ill. He had two siblings, Roger Mueller (deceased) and Daniel Mueller of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
He married Rita Hotop of Perry County on Feb. 15, 1958, in Claryville. She preceded him in death June 17, 1995.
Together they had three sons, Michael (Kristopher) Mueller of Columbia, Md., Scott (Ruth) Mueller of Verona, Wis., and Robert (Lin) Mueller of Spokane, Wash.; and a daughter, Barbara Mueller of Germantown, Ill.
He was also very proud of his nine grandchildren, Bryony, Meaghan, Molly, Alex, Anna, Ella, Kristen, Ryan and Scott; and four great-grandchildren, Oliver, Sophie, Noah and Ariela.
Rano’s childhood growing up in small-town southern Illinois included helping in the family-owned boarding house during the Depression era, where his values and work ethic were formed.
Known by many nicknames — “Red” being the most popular — he was widely recognized for his athletic prowess in baseball and basketball.
After graduating from Sparta High School in 1951, he went to Peoria to work for the summer at Caterpillar before heading to college on a basketball offer.
That summer proved pivotal, as he chose to stay with Caterpillar and enter its apprenticeship program. Rano excelled at Caterpillar, a company he truly loved, enjoying a successful 43-year career in operations and management. He retired in 1995 and, by all measures, truly “wore the yellow underwear.”
He was called into military service during his early years at Caterpillar and was stationed in Germany for three years. His roles within the Army’s electronic communications and accounting offices were secondary to his time on the division’s basketball team, touring Europe.
Rano loved everything about the “Paris of the Midwest,” Peoria, where he raised his family. He enjoyed planning annual vacations, pulling the family’s Twinkle Trailer through more than 30 states.
He was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church and also frequently attended St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church with Rita and his children.
His Christian values were at his core, and his generosity and kindness were evident to all who knew him. He deeply cared about others and took a sincere interest in people. His friendships were among his greatest treasures.
He was also one of the greatest and most devoted St. Louis Cardinals fans, and he dearly loved his Cardinals.
After Rita’s death, Rano met Bobbie (Abenstein) and fell deeply in love again. They were married May 22, 1999, and enjoyed some of the happiest years of their lives traveling the world, snowbirding in Florida, attending Broadway plays, and spending time with their blended family, including stepson J.P. Abenstein and stepdaughter Robin Overlock. They also enjoyed time with friends in the Chicagoland area,
Clearwater and Peoria, and could often be found supporting Elks Clubs, VFWs and AMVETS organizations wherever they traveled. Rano and Bobbie’s favorite motto was “Life Is Good,” and they truly lived it.
A celebration of Rano’s life will be held at a future date at Buehler Home in Peoria. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark’s Lutheran School, 105 N. Garfield St., Steeleville, Ill. 62288.
