Virginia Crandall

Family-Placed Obituary


CRANDALL, Virginia Carol Virginia Crandall died Sept. 18 2006 in Greene Memorial Hospital. She was 84. Ginny was the only child of Fern and Jack Fotheringham and was born and raised in Pinconning Michigan. Ginny married Vaughn Crandall in 1942. Vaughn and Ginny moved to Columbus after World War II while Vaughn completed his Ph D at Ohio State University. They moved to Yellow Springs in 1951, lived briefly on Davis Street, and then bought a house on Spillan Rd where Ginny lived for the remainder of her life. Ginny earned a B.S degree from Texas Christian University in 1944, and an M.A. from OSU in 1961. Ginny was a dedicated researcher. She worked at the Fels Institute for many years, first as a partner in Vaughn's research on socialization processes, and then on her own after Vaughn's death in 1963. Her work on the nature of gender differences in achievement, and on children's locus of control perceptions was recognized by an international research community. She developed a questionnaire to assess children's perceptions of achievement that was translated into over 30 languages. In 1984, when Fels merged with WSU School of Medicine, Ginny was appointed a Fels Professor in Psychiatry. She taught research methods to Psychiatric residents, and mentored many of them as they fulfilled the research and methodology portions of their program. She published numerous articles and chapters over the course of her career, and was known within the research community for her keen mind and generous collaborations. She believed deeply in human rights and equality, and supported a variety of human rights causes over the years. She was active in several community organizations, including the League of Women Voters. She is survived by her three sons and daughters-in-law: Grant and Angela Crandall, Fairfax Va.; Joel and Beth Crandall, Yellow Springs, and Neal Crandall and Pam Davis, Yellow Springs; four grandsons: Ben, Vaughn, Jesse, and Andy Crandall, a step-grandson, Giovanni (Gio) Ramos, and many friends and relatives who cared deeply for her. A memorial gathering will be held Saturday Sept 23 at 11:00 am at the Glen Helen Building on Corry Street in Yellow Springs. The public is invited to come and share their memories of Ginny. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Yellow Springs Community Children's Center, 320 Corry Street, Yellow Springs OH 45387.