James "Jimmy" Wright Crane

James (Jimmy) Wright Crane, age 54, passed away on July 15, 2023, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Jimmy was born on October 8, 1968, in Atlanta, Georgia, and was the third of four children born to William Carey Crane and Anne Sargent Crane.

Jimmy grew up in Morrow, Georgia. As a young boy, he had a keen interest in sports and showed a natural athletic ability. He lettered in football, basketball, and soccer for Morrow High School. Some of his high school achievements included playing varsity soccer all four years, being named Morrow High School's Best Offensive Player in soccer three years in a row, being one of the top 20 soccer scorers in the state, being awarded Soccer Player of the Year for Clayton County, and being on the All-County Football Team as a sophomore.

After graduating from high school, Jimmy attended the University of Texas in Austin and pledged Lambda Chi Alpha. He later transferred to Georgia State University and remained active in the fraternity becoming their president in his senior year. He graduated from Georgia State with a Business Degree in Finance.

Jimmy led an unconventional life and followed his love of theater to pursue a career in acting and as well as music where he studied in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York. Following his passion, he graced stages in both Atlanta and New York City. He was a gifted guitarist and songwriter for most of his life and played in bands including The Bourbon Legends and the Air Conditioners. To facilitate his career, he worked in some of Manhattan’s top restaurants. He loved New York and was always happy to share the city with anyone visiting. He truly followed his dreams.

He was a lifelong Braves fan and would gladly share his views of the team with anyone willing to listen. The same went for the Atlanta Falcons and the United States Men’s National Soccer Team. While never trying to be the center of attention, Jimmy had a sense of humor and charisma that drew the world in. Jimmy was also passionate about gardening and enjoyed tending to his own home gardens as well as those of his parents. He was kind, clever, and loved his family deeply.

Jimmy is survived by his parents, William and Anne Crane of Alpharetta, Georgia; his sister and her husband, Kim and Randy Smith of Lawrenceville, Georgia; his two brothers and their wives, Bill Crane and Tracy Mobley-Martinez of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Eric and Katy Crane of Roswell, Georgia; 3 nieces, 1 nephew, 4 grandnieces, 2 grandnephews, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins. A Celebration of Life will take place at Roswell Funeral Home in Roswell, GA on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The National Pancreas Foundation: https://pancreasfoundation.org/.