Constance W. Crane

Constance W. (Connie) Crane, beloved wife of Mark Crane, beloved mother of Christopher M. Crane, Katherine C. Cowan and Stephanie C. Guyett and beloved grandmother of her nine grandchildren, died peacefully at The Mather in Evanston, Illinois on May 6, 2014. She was 79 years old. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, October 13, 1934, Connie was raised in Washington, D.C. and Hamilton, Ohio. She graduated from Radcliffe College and married Mark in 1956. They moved to the Chicago area in 1957 where they lived in Winnetka for 48 years. Connie was an active volunteer. In 1976 she began nearly 30 years as a volunteer Scientific Associate at the Field Museum of Natural History, where she became an expert in the cultures of the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast and the Inuit of the Arctic. She also served for 30 years as a member of the Know Your Chicago Committee, an affiliate of the University of Chicago that runs lectures and tours that explore Chicago's strengths and challenges. A member of The Fortnightly of Chicago, she served on its Board of Trustees, including two terms as Chair of its House Governors Committee. She also served as a member of the Field Museum Women's Board and the Women's Board of the University of Chicago and was active in her church. An avid traveler and collector of Native American art and a beloved friend and family member, Connie will be missed by all who knew her. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on June 12, 2014 at St. James the Less Episcopal Church, 550 Sunset Ridge Road, Northfield, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Field Museum of Natural History, Institutional Advancement, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, in honor of Connie for the benefit of the Anthropology Department.