Richard Crane

Mr. Richard Otis Crane, of Pineville, NC, born on January 14, 1932 in Queens, New York, to the late Betty Bosco and the late Burritt Crane, passed away at age 86 on August 3, 2018 in Pineville, North Carolina. Richard was the beloved husband of Janice Crane for 63 years. He was preceded in death by his stepmother, Dorothy Crane. Richard is survived by his wife, son, Jonathan Crane (Barbara) and son, Paul Crane. After completing high school in Hackensack, NJ, Dick worked in film and kinescope distribution in New York City. He was a frequent on-set visitor to many of the most celebrated television shows of the 1950s when New York City was the country’s hub for live broadcasting. Dick also appeared as the Director of the United States Census Bureau on What’s My Line in 1966. All but one of the celebrity panel were convinced Dick was the real deal. Subsequently hired by the American Bible Society, Dick traveled the world recording native speakers and regional dialects across Africa, Mexico, Japan and the Philippines. Dick’s dangerous assignment, he had to flee the Belgium Congo when an armed insurrection erupted and contracted a near fatal case of malaria during his time in Africa, allowed the ABS to spread the Gospel across the globe in the printed vernacular of the people. Prior to entering the field, he took graduate courses in linguistics at the University of Oklahoma where he learned to transliterate Apache and notate the syntax and morphology of undocumented oral tongues. Following his return to the United States, Dick found employment in Christian and secular publishing, working at Fleming H. Revell, The New York Times book division and with Quadrangle Books. While employed with Fleming H. Revell he co-authored two books and oversaw PR campaigns for, among other notables, Billy Graham, Dick Van Dyke, Eddy Arnold, Miss America Vonda Kay and singing cowgirl Dale Evans. He co-founded Hahn-Crane Advertising in Chicago, and later served as President of Springhouse Books, Wheaton, lllinois and Crane Advertising of Rockford, Illinois. Upon leaving industry, Dick commenced to do volunteer work full-time for over a decade. An active community participant, Richard was a Young Republican – managing multiple local campaigns and voter drives, Scoutmaster, Indian Guide, member and Chair of untold numbers of Church committees, founding member of Naperville, Illinois’s esteemed Gourmet Club, Barbershop Quartet bass and devoted Choir member for his entire life. He was a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church, Salisbury NC and Vice President of the Mendelssohn Club of Rockford. In keeping with his abiding passion for Christian witness, Dick was a lay counselor with Stephen Ministries, and, following a move from Illinois to North Carolina, a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, Community in Schools and Rowan Helping Ministries. A gifted artist, crafter, carpenter and spackle man, Richard loved to write, to paint, to draw, to create unique holiday decorations and to undertake ambitious home improvement projects for any friend, relative or neighbor who needed nails driven, wallpaper hung and drywall mudded. Above all, Dick loved to sing. He sang on cruise ships, in nursing homes, at weddings, at talent shows, at the dinner table, and around the campfire. Anytime anyone needed a song, Dick was ready and eager. Over a lifetime of full-throated singing, nothing gave him a greater sense of accomplishment than appearing at Carnegie Hall with the Catawba College Choir under the direction of Dr. Paul Oakley. In celebration of a life well-lived, the family invites donations in Richard’s name to Rowan Helping Ministries at rowanhelpingministries.org and First Presbyterian Church at salisburyfirstpres.org. All are welcome to attend the Memorial Service on Saturday, August 18 at First Presbyterian Church, Salisbury, NC at 2:00 pm. First Presbyterian is located at 308 W. Fisher Street.