Remembering Richard "Dick" Crane

WAYNE, ME - Richard "Dick" Crane died peacefully on Wednesday, December 3 in the presence of his family after living with Parkinson's disease for 20 years.

A teacher, coach, athlete, scientist, father, grandfather, and husband, Dick Crane was widely known as one of the nicest people you would ever meet. His kind and helpful manner will be remembered fondly by many of his friends and colleagues from the Kents Hill School community.

A native of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Dick grew up on a chicken farm with his parents, Ruth and Ed, and his four brothers. He was a camp counselor at Highland Green on Foster's Pond in West Danville and attended St. Johnsbury Academy where he was a standout football player and member of the Vermont Shrine Team his senior year. He earned a B.A. in chemistry from St. Michaels College in Colchester, Vermont. While in the Boy Scouts he earned the Eagle Scout award followed by his four brothers, a rare accomplishment by one family.

It was his next move that would change his life forever. As a graduate student at Kent State University he met his wife-to-be, Janet Hoskinson of Martins Ferry, Ohio. While she finished her bachelor's in chemistry, they became a couple who would be married for more than 55 years and raise a family with two children.

Dick started his career at Kents Hill School in 1971 as a chemistry teacher and football coach. What was meant to be a career stepping stone turned into a lifetime of service to his students and players. During his time at Kents Hill, Dick also taught physics, astronomy, geology and was athletic director for a time. In addition to football he coached softball, baseball, and was instrumental in maintaining cross-country ski trails and leading the school's recreational cross-country ski program.

For much of his career he and his wife, Janet, worked together in the science department and both lived on campus for 42 years. While he had always enjoyed photography (and we have the slide collection to prove it), it was later in his career that he found joy in traditional black and white film photography. After spending summers at the Maine Media Workshop, he taught photography at Kents Hill and with his photography club traveled throughout the state to capture the beauty and architecture of Maine. He retired in 2013.

He loved being with his family, whether traveling abroad or throughout the country, and being outdoors working on projects around their home in Wayne and with his grandson, Finn. He loved Acadia National Park and the coast of Maine, places where he spent much time with his family throughout their lives together.

Dick is survived by his wife, Janet Crane of Wayne; his daughter, Meredith Crane and her partner, Brendan Herr of Providence; his son, Matthew Crane and his wife, Mary Sheridan of Wayne; his grandson, Finnian Sheridan-Crane of Wayne; his brother John Crane and husband, David Chambers of Lexington, Mass.; brother Stanley Crane and wife Bobbie Crane of St. Johnsbury; brother Larry Crane and wife Sherri of San Diego, California; brother Lesley Crane and wife Suzanne Crane of Winooski, Vermont; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Dick's life will take place at a later date. Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop, ME.