Richard Thomas “Tom” Crane Jr., 85, of Litchfield, died at 10:37 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, at Hillsboro Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m., until time of service, on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at Union Avenue Christian Church in Litchfield. Memorial services will start at 11 a.m., at the church, with Rev. Cassie Sexton-Riggs of UACC officiating. Entombment will be in the Henrichs Family Mausoleum at Elmwood Cemetery in Litchfield. Plummer Funeral Home in Litchfield is assisting the family with arrangements.
Mr. Crane was born on Dec. 5, 1935, in Mt. Sterling, a son of Richard Thomas and Monta Mildred (Henrichs) Crane, Sr. He married the former Sarajoan “Sally” Pence on March 24, 1957, in Litchfield, at the Old House of Sunshine on North State Street.
Mr. Crane graduated from Litchfield Community High School with the Class of 1954. He attended one year of college at DePauw University in Green Castle, IN, before transferring to Southern Illinois University – Carbondale for the remaining three years. Mr. Crane graduated in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in botany. Following college, he worked for several years at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and later entered the insurance field, where he was employed until his retirement.
Mr. Crane was a member of Union Avenue Christian Church in Litchfield, where he served in a number of positions over the years. He was a past master of Masonic Lodge #23 F&AM and a member of the Scottish Rite and York Rite, all in Indianapolis, IN. Mr. Crane enjoyed traveling to Germany and throughout the U.S. including Hawaii, and buying / collecting antiques through local antique malls.
Mr. Crane is survived by his wife; son, Sgt. Major (SGM) U.S. Army Retired Richard Thomas (Thalia) Crane, III of Lamia, Greece; three daughters, Laurie Knutson of St. Paul, MN, Sheryl (Michael) George of Peoria, AZ, and Susan (John) Byrd of Bloomington, IN; one sister, Judith Ann “Judy” Chrysanthus of Avon Park, FL; ten grandchildren, Peyton (Dustin) Coar, Toryn (Tim) Hickam, Finnegan Byrd, Eric (Rei Liou) Knutson, Ryan (Mandy) Knutson, Emily (Tyler) Thorpe, Richard Thomas Crane IV (fiancée, Nadine Bittel), Steven Crane, Christopher George and Philip George; nine great-grandchildren, Hadley and Emery Coar, Hadley and Soren Knutson, Mitchell and Elliott Thorpe, Channing and Charleen Crane and Mila Crane
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials may be designated to Union Avenue Christian Church in Litchfield. Condolences may be left online at www.plummerfuneralservices.com.
