On August 29, 2023, Bud Cranford passed from Earth to Glory quietly in his sleep, surrounded by those who loved him.
Charles R. “Bud” Cranford, Jr., was born on April 14, 1930, in Jasper, Alabama to Charles R. (Sr.) and Hattie Cobb Cranford – both of whom were owners of several local businesses including the Cranfords Hardware. Bud spent his youth in Jasper working in the hardware store, as a soda jerk at the drugstore, and as a delivery boy for a florist shop. He attended “The University” (University of Alabama) and, in 1952 he married his treasured Rose Marie Turner of Montgomery, Alabama. A short time later, during the height of the Korean Conflict, he graduated and entered the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss, Texas – a city and duty station to which he and his family returned many times during his lifetime. After a short hiatus from the military to add Physics and Math to his degree, Bud was schooled in missiles and radar and was selected numerous times during his career to act as an instructor to other soldiers who were learning these new technologies.
Bud and Rose Marie had a son, Charles Turner, and a daughter, Diane Marie (Bill Martin), and together they lived the normal Army Family lifestyle well into the 1970s. Along the way he had assignments in several overseas theaters (e.g.: pre-statehood Alaska, Korea, and Vietnam), and numerous stateside locations familiar to Air Defense Artillery members, such as Fort Meade, Camp Stewart, Fort Sill, Redstone Arsenal, Fort Leavenworth, the Pentagon, and Fort Bliss/White Sands Missile Range. After 27 years in the Army, Bud retired with the rank of Colonel and immediately re-entered the aerospace industry. He first worked for Martin Marietta in Orlando, Florida and then set up an office for them in his beloved El Paso. In his post military career, Bud also worked for UTEP, Litton Data Systems, and Cypress International. After retiring, again, he started to consult for other defense contractors and eventually started-up his own Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned defense contracting company, Cranford Operating Group, with his son.
Bud enjoyed traveling (he had numerous trips to Europe) with his family, and living in El Paso, and he loved the opportunity to combine the two as he championed the El Paso and Fort Bliss causes in his participation in the Air Defense Association, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, the Association of the U.S. Army, and the Fort Bliss Historical Association. He and his wife found a church home at Coronado Baptist Church and loved the fellowship and the spiritual education sitting under the tutelage of Pastor Mike Woods.
After the loss of Rose Marie in 2005 to cancer, Bud met, and in November of 2006, married the exciting and fiery Bobbie Romack, who expanded his family circle to include her four grown children, Kelly Romack, Kristi Eddings (Albert Eddings), Kerri Flick (Dean Flick), and Kim Dennison (Michael Dennison), along with almost two-dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren on her side of the family.
It is fitting and proper that as his friends and family celebrate his life, that the graveside and memorial services will be conducted by Pastor Mike Woods as we commend Bud to his next, and final duty station – where due to his faith in Jesus, the Commander Almighty will give him his final and best promotion: Eternal Life.
A graveside service will be held at the Ft. Bliss Cemetery on September 29, 2023, at 10 am. The memorial service will be held later that same day at Coronado Baptist Church at 11:30 am.
Any memorial contributions can be made to the Army Scholarship Foundation (Dallas, TX) at www.ArmyScholarshipFoundation.org/donate
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MartinFuneralHomeWest.com for the Cranford family.
