Jared Crane

Jared Crane, age 22 of Glen Ellyn passed away on May 20, 2018 after a two-year battle with cancer.  Beloved son of Mark Crane and Betty Crane.  Loving brother and best friend of Jessica Crane.  Dearest grandson of Philip (Mary) Crane and the late Rudy (late Gloria) Gloss.  Dear nephew, cousin and friend to MANY.

Visitation Friday, May 25, 3– 9 PM at Leonard Memorial Funeral Home (630-469-0032), 565 Duane Street, Glen Ellyn, IL.  Memorial service Saturday, May 26, 11 AM at First Presbyterian Church, 550 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn.  Interment private, Wheaton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation https://www.accrf.org/take-action/donate  or Urban Harvest – St. Louis. http://www.urbanharveststl.org/donate

Jared grew up in a Glen Ellyn home across from a lovely pond, where he and his lifelong friend Brandon played and explored on carefree summer days. In the backyard he spent countless hours on the swing set, playing badminton, running through sprinklers and engaging in cutthroat wiffle ball games with his sister and soulmate Jessica. Jared was a bright and loving but also stubborn and mischievous boy who always kept his parents on their toes and sometimes had them pulling out their hair. He played many sports but particularly loved baseball, eventually becoming a starting pitcher for the Glenbard West varsity. Academically, he excelled in every subject. His remarkable intellect and hard work ultimately earned him the opportunity to attend one of the best universities in the country.

After graduating from Glenbard West in 2014, Jared headed to Washington University in St. Louis to study architecture. The experiences he encountered at Wash U and, more than anything, the wonderful, compassionate community of friends he met there allowed Jared to blossom into a truly amazing person. He soon found himself at the center of a broad circle of very special young men and women. This extraordinary network of friends, which crossed over from his Contra Ultimate teammates to his Ruby 2 freshman dorm friends to his classmates from architecture and from his favorite class, Community Building, brought out the best in Jared, including his loving, empathic nature, his intense passion for life, his curiosity and thirst for adventure, and his clever, delightful sense of humor.

After his sophomore year, Jared travelled to Florence, Italy on a study abroad program with a group of art and architecture students, including his girlfriend Ruth Blair. It was an idyllic experience filled with joy and serenity, but sadly was cut short for Jared when he became ill and had to return home.

Jared loved food and cooking and discovering new cuisines and recipes. He loved music and appreciated and enjoyed nearly every type of music. He compiled a vast array of Spotify playlists that others will continue to enjoy for years to come, and was constantly introducing friends and relatives to new musical artists and genres. Jared loved playing Ultimate Frisbee with the Wash U Contra team. He loved art and fashion and the Cubs and Minecraft and the Incredibles and watching It’s a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. He loved his dog Sawyer and his cat Tiger. He loved working as a volunteer for Urban Harvest at the Food Roof, doing physically exhausting farm work in the hot St Louis sun even when he was weakened and hurting from his many medical challenges and treatments.

And Jared loved Saugatuck, Michigan, where he enjoyed many, many wonderful vacations with his family over the years: body surfing in the lake, going on the dune buggy ride, eating at Marro’s and Crane Pie Pantry, climbing Mt. Baldy, and just enjoying the beautiful natural setting. He was at home in nature and loved to hike in the woods, relax in a hammock under a shade tree, or throw a Frisbee on the beach. Jared was a strong environmental advocate and despised anything that pointlessly damaged the environment or wasted resources. He carried a reusable bottle with him at all times. Few things made him angrier than to see the rest of us using disposable plastic bottles.

Most of all, Jared loved people—all people, including the disadvantaged and marginalized. He would not tolerate exclusion or any hint or suggestion of prejudice or disrespect based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other label or stereotype. Jared loved his dear friends at Wash U, including his Contra buddies, his classmates, and his former dorm mates. He loved his friend Brandon, who grew up on the other side of the pond. And he loved his family, including his incredibly devoted and now heartbroken Mom, for whom he will always be her “babers,” and his Dad, who will miss his “little buddy” terribly. And as much as anyone could ever love anyone or anything, Jared loved his sister Jessica. They share a bond that cannot and will not be broken by something as trivial as physical death.

Jared faced a relentless series of cruel and daunting challenges after his ACC diagnosis in June 2016. He fought valiantly, enduring a litany of painful and disabling symptoms, as well as 5 major surgeries, countless radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and other treatments. The disease slowly took away his physical strength and his ability to do many things he loved. Ultimately it took his life. But it never diminished his spirit, never drove him to a place of despair or defeat, never diminished the love he continued to lavish on those around him, and can never, ever touch his precious, unique, eternal soul.

Jared had a magnetic charisma that not only drew people to him but also brought other people together and spread an infectious joy among all who encountered him. He was a beautiful young man, inside and out. He brought a brilliant light into the lives of his family and friends, and we cannot pretend there won’t be a place of darkness in our lives now that his physical presence is gone from this world. But he has also left us a vast treasure of memories, experiences, friendships, and lessons in life and love that will remain with us always. We love you, Jared.

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