More detail on this person: Kenneth F. Crane,
son of Elsie T. Anderson and Frederick I. Crane,
was born in Brooklyn, NewYork, on May 24, 1939.
When he was a young man, he enlisted with the
U.S. Army and earned his helicopter pilot's
license to fulfill his childhood dream of flying.
He retired from his 26-year career in the Army at
the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1986. Ken also
worked a lifetime career in aerospace engineering
as an electrical specialist for Grumman (later
Northrop Grumman) in New York throughout the
70's and 80's, and at Point Mugu Naval Station in
California during the 90's. He loved to reminisce
about his early work on the Lunar Module and,
especially, the F-14 D fighter project. He was
instrumental in establishing and troubleshooting
the GPS system for the F-14 D and earned many
commendations and awards for good service from
both the Army and Northrop Grumman.
Ken was well known among work colleagues and
family for his calm, friendly demeanor and ability
to listen to others. He also had a soft spot for
animals, particularly dogs. A born engineer, Ken
enjoyed making and fixing things not only at work
but at home. His family was often amused to
receive personal notes in his print handwriting on
graph paper.
When his wife of 34 years, Lonni, succumbed to a
long struggle with lung cancer in October 2002,
Ken was left a widower. About a year later, he
moved to Ramona, California, where he met
Pauline. They were married 2006. Spry and active
all his days, Ken also enjoyed golfing, building
and running model cars and planes, fishing and
boating.
He was consistently proud and supportive of his
children and a loyal husband to Lonni and later to
Pauline. All who knew him well will continue to
miss him.
Published in the Ramona Sentinel on September
26, 2013
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 10/23/2024
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