Deceased May 10, 2015
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In Memory
Philip Crane, a post-retirement resident of Sarasota, Fla., and formerly a longtime resident of Lake Forest, Ill., passed away on May 10 after a long and courageous battle with COPD. He is survived by his wife, Rhoda; three children: Susan Crane Snider, Tracey Crane Hennessy and David W. Crane; 10 grandchildren; and brother, Lt. Col. (ret) Thomas J. Crane.
Phil was born in New York City, the son of Thomas Crane and Rosemary Comiskey. He entered Amherst after graduating from Woodmere (N.Y.) High School. Phil was a member of the Chi Psi, which was then located in what is now the Mayo-Smith House. He graduated with a B.A. in history.
He immediately entered into the nation’s service in the U.S. Air Force (after a brief stint in the U.S. Army), serving as a personnel officer at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts and subsequently at George Air Force Base in California. He left the service in 1953, having attained the rank of first lieutenant.
He had a long and successful career in sales, serving for many years as the Midwest regional sales manager for Anaconda Aluminum, which later became ARCO Metals.
Phil met his wife, Joan Whipple, while she was a student at Smith College. They married in September 1951 and went on to have four children, the oldest of whom, Philip Jr., died in infancy. Phil was married to Joan for 32 years until she passed away in 1983. He was always very proud to be an Amherst alumnus.
David Crane