Benjamin Crane

Family-Placed Obituary

CRANE, Benjamin Davis Benjamin Davis Crane, a retired US Air Force Colonel, died at his residence on December 21, 2007. Graveside services will be held on Sunday December 23, 2007 at New Live Oak Cemetery with Rev. Sandy Simmons and Rev. Glenn Smith officiating and Lawrence Brown-Service Funeral Home directing. Mr. Crane was preceded in death by his mother, Jean B. Crane and his father, William M. Crane, both of Selma. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ardis Powers Crane; a daughter, Casey Carr and her husband, Steve of Chattanooga, TN; a son, Patrick Crane and his wife, Cecilia, of Stillwater, OK; two granddaughters, Nikki Carr of Chattanooga and Kelly Crane of Stillwater; three grandsons, Chris Carr of Chattanooga, Matthew Carr of Chattanooga and Davis Crane of Stillwater; one great granddaughter, Hannah Mathews of Chattanooga. Mr. Crane was born in Bexar, AL and raised in Selma, AL. he graduated from A.G. Parrish High School where he was active in sports and extracurricular activities. He was very proud to be an Eagle Scout. He was a member of KA and ROTC at the university of Alabama where he received a degree in aeronautical engineering. After college, he joined the US Air Force where he was a pilot in the Strategic Air Command and served in the Vietnam War. He earned his master's degree in aeronautical systems from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, OH. He retired from the Air Force after 29 years and worked for MTC Corporation in Dayton, OH as a Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Crane was a member of the Memorial United Methodist Church. He loved Golf, reading, and watching sports. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorials be made to the Crane District of the Boy Scouts of America or Memorial United Methodist Church.