Vera "Lee" Lynn McCraven

On August 19, 2025 Lee McCraven passed away peacefully at the age of 57.

She was born on October 2, 1967 in Charlotte North Carolina to Ernest Darrell and Bonnie Meyer McCraven. Born with both mental and physical disabilities, Lee had to overcome insurmountable obstacles to accomplish the life that she had envisioned for herself.

In 1998 she became one of the first mentally disabled people in North Carolina to qualify for and purchase a home. This accomplishment directly contributed to her receiving the 1998 Bill Sackter Citizenship Award from the ARC. In 2000 Lee was awarded as the Self Advocate of the Year by the Association of Self Advocates of North Carolina, completed DBT Training in 2001, received a membership on the North Carolina Council of Developmental Disabilities for Governor Michael F. Easley, and participated in Arts for ALL at UNC Chapel Hill’s Developmental Disabilities Training Institute in 2003. In 2004 she actively participated in training and fundraising for North Carolina Special Olympics, and the UNC Chapel Hill’s Developmental Disabilities Training Institute’s Best Practices 2004: Community Support program, and in 2006 Lee McCraven received the Association of Self-Advocates of North Carolina President’s Award.

Amongst all of her accomplishments, Lee McCraven developed deep connections within her community and with friends and neighbors, who both supported and loved her. The memory of her will live on...