Leroy Alford Crane

LeRoy Alford Crane, loving husband of Betty Webb Crane, devoted father to LaDonna and Laurie; and grandfather to Grant, Grayson and Lance passed away on July 23, 2023, in Bedford, Texas.

LeRoy was born on May 20, 1938, in Canton, Texas to Josephine Houck Crane and Burleson Oxner Crane. After graduating from Morenci High School in Morenci, Arizona; he joined the Air Force. Upon completing his service in the Air Force, he moved to Texas and reconnected with his Crane family members that lived in the east Texas area.

LeRoy was introduced by his Aunt Maerene to Betty Webb and they were married on December 23, 1961. The two moved to Irving, Texas and welcomed their first daughter, LaDonna in May, 1963 and Laurie was born in June, 1965.

LeRoy had three passions: his family, God and his country. He was active in the lives of his wife, his children and various churches all through his life. LeRoy was especially close to his Crane cousins and took the role as the oldest grandchild very seriously. LeRoy’s personality was as large as his physical presence. He loved nothing more than spending time with his family and was known for keeping any event a little livelier.

LeRoy also considered his church community as part of his family. He and Betty had several church homes over the years, and he always served in each of them. Whether it was driving a bus load of students to summer camp, serving as an usher, leading music; or just being present; LeRoy always looked for ways to serve others.

LeRoy is survived in death by his wife, Betty, his daughter LaDonna and Joel Ross, Laurie and Scott Gillespie, and three grandsons - Grant Gillespie, Grayson Ross and Lance Gillespie. He is preceded in death by his parents, Josephine and Burleson Crane, brothers Donnie and Dwayne Crane and a host of beloved Crane cousins.

LeRoy will be laid to rest at DFW National Cemetery on August 16 at 10:15 and a celebration of life service will follow at Lucas Funeral Home in Hurst, TX at 1:00. A reception will be held at Parc Place Retirement Living in Bedford immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Family Legacy Missions or Texas Baptist Men.

Family Legacy Missions exists to glorify God by empowering vulnerable and orphaned children of Zambia to live out their God-given potential. https://familylegacy.com/

Texas Baptist Men mobilizes Christ followers to change the world, tackling it’s biggest challenges by meeting crucial needs after disasters, providing clean drinking water for people around the globe, and equipping the next generation to make a difference for years to come. https://www.tbmtx.org/

"On Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 1:00 pm, a Live Stream of the Celebration of Life will be viewable here: https://video.ibm.com/channel/DURgpAb2EXm "