Crane Jr., Richard Edwin

Richard Edwin Crane Jr. passed away Aug. 20, 2012, after a lengthy illness at Hummingbird Assistive Living Home in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Dick was born in Sheridan, Wyo., on Sept. 12, 1921, to Dr. Richard E. Crane and Beatrice Nardini Crane.

He was preceded in death by both parents; his sisters, Margaret Crane Smith and Nancy Crane Browning; and his loving wife and mother of his four children, Mary Van Vechten Shaffer Crane, who passed away March 13, 1983.

Survivors include his children, Richard E. Crane III, the Rev. Van Vechten Crane, Carl Schuyler Crane and Mary Margaret “Mimi” (Crane) Witt; as well as his grandchildren, Trevor, Laura, Stephanie, Zachary, Jeremy, Carly, Amy and Joel, Preston, Brandon (all Crane) and Schuyler and Ryan Witt. He is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren.

He married Mary Van Vechten Shaffer in March 1947 and began his banking career in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He and Mary lived in Cedar Rapids with their four children for 12 years. They made many close friends, with whom Dick stayed in touch until the end. Those friends and Iowa memories were very special to him.

He had an impressive career as a banker and was vice president of the Guaranty Bank and Trust Co. in Cedar Rapids. The family left Iowa in 1960, eventually settling in Arizona. Dick continued working in the banking industry until suffering a stroke in January 1966.

Dick kept himself busy writing articles for horse magazines and various newspapers, designing and teaching a “horse-packing for back packers” course at Scottsdale Community College, and leading many horse-packing trips.

Dick will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Services for Dick will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Sierra Vista.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Sheridan Historical Society, P. O. Box 73, Sheridan, WY 82801.

Published Sept. 23, 2012 in The Gazette