William "Bill" Carey Crane

William (Bill) Carey Crane was born on April 20, 1938 in Oklahoma City, and was the only child of Oscar Wright Crane and Othello Fadenrecht Crane. Bill passed away on January 11, 2025. He was also affectionately known by his initials ‘WCC’, his self-given title of “Immortal Master of Universal Knowledge” (shortened to “IMOUK’), and ‘Opa’ to his beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bill was named after his great-grandfather, William Carey Crane, who was president of Baylor University for 21 years. In 1887, the Texas Centennial Commission honored his namesake’s contributions to the state by naming a county in Texas after him: Crane County.

Bill’s family relocated to Dallas in 1942 when his father took a job with Braniff Airways. Still, he made no bones about his roots: “I’m an Okie,” he said, “even though I grew up in Texas.”

He graduated from Highland Park in Dallas and attended Southern Methodist University, which led to a lifelong love for Mustang athletics.

Bill often said that the best day in his life was when he and Anne Marie Sargent married in 1960. The 22-year-olds were married at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, the same church where they met in Sunday School while in college. His private notes of his wife of 64 years would include such thoughts as “Anne the Beautiful”, “Anne the Witty”, and “Anne the Brave”. Bill and Anne also shared a passion for literature, cuisine, and the game of bridge.

The couple settled in Atlanta in 1961 when Bill began his career as an Aeronautical Engineer with Delta Airlines, very much following in his father’s footsteps with an enthusiasm for aviation and travel. Retiring from Delta Airlines after 33 years, Bill joined Northwest Airlines and later was a consultant for World Airways. During his career, he also completed a Master’s Degree from Georgia State University.

Bill was a passionate reader and read everything from stories about the buried treasure in the deepest mines on Earth to the furthest reaches of space and the universe, and anything in between. His greatest interests were history, archaeology, astronomy, and science fiction. There were always a number of books within his reach and he could tell you everything about them. He was quite the storyteller on a world of topics including his family’s history. He shared this knowledge and his love of travel with his family, and took Anne and their children to museums, zoos, and historical sites around the world. If there was a chance to see an eclipse, a rocket launch, or even a comet, he was quick to load the family into the car. His love of foods was unparallelled and he regularly took his family on his quest for ethnic authenticity, although sometimes his children were in the mood for hamburgers or hotdogs.

In addition to his love of SMU football, Bill had a love of soccer and coached many youth teams in Clayton County in the 1970s and 1980s. He loved watching his children in all of their endeavors, be it cheering, scouting, sharing in their hobbies, and enjoying sports. Family was the most important thing in his life.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and by his son James Wright Crane. He is survived by his wife Anne of Alpharetta, Georgia; daughter Kim and her husband Randy Smith of Lawrenceville, Georgia; son Bill and wife Tracy Mobley-Martinez of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and son Eric and wife Katy of Roswell, Georgia. He also cherished his three granddaughters, one grandson, and six great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life ceremony will take place at Roswell Funeral Home in Roswell, Georgia on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 2:00 PM with a reception to follow.