|
Jeff's senior candid photo.
Our dear classmate Jeff Crary passed away on Jul. 28, 2012 following a courageous battle with lung cancer, according to his son, Josh. Poignantly, Jeff's wife, Diane, passed away on May 17, 2012, just a few weeks before he passed.
Jeff joined our class in sixth grade. Very active in extracurricular activities, he served as our class president during his sophomore year. He was on the football and track teams all four years and on the basketball team during his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He was also a member of the Ski Club during his junior year and served as its treasurer as a senior.
Here are excerpts from Jeff's obituary, which appeared in the Barnstead, NH News newspaper:
On July 28, 2012, Jeff Crary passed away after battling through a difficult and brief case of cancer.
Jeff Crary was born on December 17, 1950 in the city of Lansing, Michigan. Jeff lived all over the country and left his mark in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, California and Washington. He fell in love with creating art through landscaping and traveled much of Europe and Morocco in the 1970s.
Through his travels and love of playing in the water and “clean dirt” as a child, he found his way of giving back to the world by building waterfalls and aquatic landscapes for people of all backgrounds. His business for over 30 years, Crary Waterfalls, gave him the ability to share a piece of heaven with over 900 constructions and countless other landscaping projects. Though he always denied that he was an “artist,” his art remains as an example of his unique and joyful view of the world.
Jeff met his late wife, Diane Crary, in California and convinced her to move to the beautiful wilderness of New Hampshire shortly after being married. Jeff and Diane raised Kate and Josh Crary in the town of Barnstead.
Jeff leaves behind his love and magic in the souls of his children as well as the amazing waterfalls he has constructed over the past 30 years.
His talents also extended to being involved in town affairs, building toys with his adult friends and teaching his grandson how to catch frogs, and play trains. Jeff was a jack of all trades, a friend to everyone he met, loved life and all of its trappings, and will be missed in too many ways to express.
We would like to thank Brian White, Randall Pratt, Jon Crary, The Kiley Family, Elaine Swinford, and the many friends who lent their hands in making this time a period of laughter, joy, and remembrance.
Services for Jeff and Diane Crary will be held on August 25, from 1:00-4:00 pm at the Crary household.
Donations can be made in memory of Jeff to the Choroideremia Research Foundation at choroideremia.org.
1966 freshman football team. Front row: Mr. Richard Bolles (coach), Wayne Scully, Jim Manferdini, Bill Stark, Rick Willard, Jeff Crary, Mr. Daniel Kane (coach). Row 2: Bill Creighton, Paul LaBroad, Tom Mineo, Bill Anderson, Peter Ouellette, Felix Tranghese, John Stolecki. Row 3: Bob Clark, Bob Ireland, Mark Hadeler, Mike Rafferty, Armand Gamache, Dave Gallerani, Tom Sullivan. Row 4: Rich Mondoux, Greg Naylor, Ralph Donohue, Henry Dickinson, Tom Churchill, Bob Wenning, Victor Linden, Paul Stilphen. Not pictured: Todd Cormier.
1966 freshman basketball team. Front row: Rich Malmstrom, Paul Lieberwirth, Dave Carpenter, Kurt Whitney, Mr. Daniel Kane (coach). Row 2: Don Eddy, Andy Farquharson, Bill Kenyon, Scott Moore, Mike Rafferty. Row 3: Greg Naylor, Carl Larson, Jeff Crary, Michael DiMonaco, Dave Gallerani.
Stalemate in the air as Jeff Crary goes up against the Cathedral player and Mike DiMonaco (50) awaits the tap.
Varsity track team in Jeff's freshman year. Front row: Mr. Richard Bolles (assistant coach), Kim Hagopian, Warren Kenyon, Don Kattler, Erwin Belorusky, Steve Gonyea, Albert Bailey, Ronald Laliberte, Kim O'Brien, John Lewis, Mr. Francis Dutille (coach). Row 2: Dennis Ostrander, Charles Rinaldi, Robert Barry, John Palpini, Scott Lyman, Paul LaBroad, Felix Tranghese, Bill Creighton, Rich Mondoux, Lewis Thaxton. Row 3: Bill Anderson, Brad Smith, Charlie Stellato, Bernie Sweeney, Bob Willard, John Stratos, Dave Griffin, Richard Reis, Ken Goodrich. Row 4: Bernard Pozzi, Robert Paige, Don Millett, Ken Behan, Dave Pallatino, Roger Blood, Peter Keane, Paul Seymour, John Penstock, Jim Stratos. Row 5: Steve St. Marie, Larry Cooper, Jim Manferdini, Jeff Crary, Stan Sroka, Carl Larson, Mark Lacedonia, Stephen Broderick, Frank Mitchell. Row 6: Bob Ireland, John Stolecki, David Sand, Tom Ouellette, Bruce Ostrander, Larry Bradley, Victor Linden, Peter Ouellette, Rick Willard.
A turf-pounding leap by freshman Jeff Crary gives Palmer a mark to leap for in an 80-51 Spartan win.
Discovering the mysteries of leadership are sophomore class officers and advisors. Front row: Mrs. Rachel Fleming, advisor; Marlene Cabana, secretary; Debra Campanella, member-at-large. Row 2: Mr. Raymond Simonds, advisor; Jeff Crary, president; James Manferdini, vice-president. Not pictured: Susan Abel, treasurer.
Varsity football team in Jeff's sophomore year. Front row: Mr. Robert Vespaziani (coach), Joe Marazzi, Ken Behan, Rick Willard, Rich Mondoux, Bill Zuccalo, Jerry Sawyer, Todd Cormier, Kurt Whitney, Mr. Daniel Kane (coach). Row 2: Bruce Ostrander, Bill Creighton, Felix Tranghese, Bob Fois, Roger Blood, Jim Manferdini, Wayne Scully, Paul LaBroad, Bill Snow. Row 3: Warren Kenyon, Peter Ouellette, Dave Gallerani, Tim Thompson, Tom Mineo, Greg Naylor, Donald Bonner, Bill Anderson, Peter Garafalo. Row 4: Jim Stratos, Mike Boucher, Erwin Belorusky, Howie Belliveau, Steve Gonyea, Dennis Ostrander, Jeff Crary, Mark Hadeler. Row 5: Bruce Tilden, Chris Colman, Bob Willard, Don Thompson, Mike Harton. Not pictured: Kim Hagopian.
Junior varsity basketball team in Jeff's sophomore year. Front row: Channing Orr (manager), Scott Moore, Steve Newell, Kurt Whitney, Malcolm White, Paul Lieberwirth, Mr. Walter Porowski (coach). Row 2: Dave Gallerani, Don Eddy, Jeff Crary, Jim Manferdini, Andy Farquharson, Peter Garafalo, Rich Malmstrom.
Varsity track team in Jeff's sophomore year. Front row: Mark Lacedonia, Roger Blood, Jim Manferdini, Felix Tranghese, Tom McCabe, Rick Willard, Bill Creighton, Jeff Crary. Row 2: Paul LaBroad, Steve Gonyea, Alfred Santos, Ken Goodrich, Ernie Miner, John Lewis, John Wrinkle, Ken Behan, Tom O'Brien, Dennis Paige. Row 3: Richard Hammond, John Moore, Mark Pozzi, Bruce Ostrander, Larry Bradley, Clark Swanson, Victor Linden, Mark O'Melia, Dennis Ostrander. Row 4: Tom Thompson, Richard Dion, David Bowe, Keith David, Stan Sroka, David Pallatino, Paul Bouchie, Charlie Stellato, Bob Willard, John Ouellette. Row 5: Bob Ireland, Bruce Moore, Larry Cooper, Brian Lavertue, Bill Anderson, Erwin Belorusky, Chris Colman, Frank Mitchell. Not pictured: Coaches Mr. Frank Dutille, Mr. Ralph Rinaldi, Mr. Richard Bolles.
Varsity and junior varsity football teams in Jeff's junior year. Front row: Coaches Mr. Robert Vespaziani, Mr. Daniel Kane, and Mr. Ralph Rinaldi, Jerry Sawyer, Bob Barney, Rick Willard, Todd Cormier, managers Steve Viger, Tim Lynch, and Channing Orr. Row 2: Scott Grabowski, Mark Pozzi, Peter Ouellette, Ken Behan, Tom Mineo, Bill Creighton, Wayne Scully, Rich Mondoux. Row 3: Richard Dion, Charles Maurer, Alfred Santos, Dave Gallerani, Greg Naylor, Bill Anderson, Peter Garafalo, Richard Cormier. Row 4: Allan Phillips, Tom McCabe, Felix Tranghese, Jim Manferdini, John Murphy, Jeff Boulrice, Sebastiano Siano, Mike Keane, John Wrinkle. Row 5: Howie Belliveau, John Haggerty, Bob Willard, Chris Colman, Jeff Crary, Tom Stewart, John Hire, David MacDonald.
Dashing out of the pocket is junior varsity quarterback Jeff Crary (10), with Tom McCabe (15), Tom Mineo (14), and Peter Ouellette (21) blocking.
Varsity basketball team in Jeff's junior year. Front row: Chris Colman, Bob Lundgren, John Corliss, Tim Thompson, Mr. William Reagan (coach). Row 2: Dave Gallerani, Greg Naylor, Scott Seymour, Ed LeBlanc, Steve Newell. Row 3: Tim Lynch (manager), Jeff Crary, Bernie Sweeney, Carl Larson, Channing Orr (manager).
Varsity track team underclassmen in Jeff's junior year. Front row: James Montana, Daniel Lawson, Michael O'Melia, Tom McDonough, Stephen Smith, Mark Pozzi, Rick Villamaino, Mark Hammond, Michael Shubert. Row 2: Steve Viger (manager), Gil Paquette, Bill Creighton, Rick Willard, Bruce Moore, Felix Tranghese, John Haetinger, Stan Sroka, Larry Bradley, Paul LaBroad, Mark McCandlish. Row 3: Larry Cooper, Peter Ouellette, Ed "Chip" McDonough; Bruce Ostrander, Jeff Crary, Carl Larson, Victor Linden, Kim O'Brien, Robert Hafey, Kevin Lightcap, Richard Dion. Not pictured: Brian Lavertue, Phillip Towle, Steven Wescott.
Showing All-Western-Mass. form, Jeff Crary hurdles the timbers in the 120.
Varsity football team in Jeff's senior year. Front row: Coaches Mr. Edward Modzelewski and Mr. Robert Dobias, Jim Manferdini, Felix Tranghese, Jeff Crary, Mike Keane, Rick Willard, Mr. Francis Dutille (coach). Row 2: Bill Creighton, Tom Mineo, Wayne Scully, Peter Garafalo, Dennis Killoren, Donald Thomas, Michael Creighton. Row 3: Richard Cormier, Mark Pozzi, Rene Young, Todd Cormier, Kurt Whitney, David Correale, Robert Bailey. Row 4: Sebastiano Siano, Kevin Keilty, Timothy Bartlett, William Gowash, Richard Dion, William Marazzi. Row 5: Bill Stark, Gary Halon, Scott Grabowski, Allan Phillips, Craig White, Kevin Porter, Tom McCabe. Not pictured: Greg Naylor, and managers Paul Messenger and Steve Viger. Please click here to see some video of Jeff and the senior football players (Jeff appears at 0:37).
1970 varsity track team seniors. Front row: Steve Viger (manager), Peter Ouellette, Kim O'Brien, Bob Ireland, Rick Willard, Larry Bradley, Stan Sroka, Carl Larson. Row 2: Gil Paquette, Paul LaBroad, Larry Cooper, Bruce Moore, Edward "Chip" McDonough, Jeff Crary, John Haetinger, Mr. Francis Dutille (coach). Absent: Jim Manferdini, Felix Tranghese.
Two master timber-toppers, MVP Peter Ouellette and Jeff Crary clear the high hurdles in a dead-heat finish against a demolished (92-39) Agawam foe. Jeff consistently grabbed big points, while Peter finished third in the state meet.
A photo of Jeff from his profile on our website.
Jeff during our 40th class reunion, Oct. 10, 2010. Photo courtesy of Donna Anderson.
To see other tributes, click on the "Life Tributes" link to the left and then on the page of interest.
|
.jpg)
Carl Larson
I feel so bad for Jeff..being sick and losing his wife and now I can"t imagine what his kids are going through losing him. I can imagine that Jeff was a strong father figure and his children will miss him dearly. A tough story to digest. Makes you step back and apreciate what you have.
Stephanie Chmielewski (Francis)
I am feeling very sad today, to hear this news and agree with all that Carl wrote. Jeff was a very good friend throughout high school. Though we had lost touch when I moved to Maine, I was really happy to see him at our last reunion. I'm very thankful for that time.
Ronald Lech
Josh,
Your father was one of my 8th grade U.S. history students during my first year of teaching (1965-1966) at Birchland Park Junior High. He made a lasting impression on me and I have thought of him fondly on several occasions over the years. Even at that age, he had a strong sense of right and wrong and of the importance of fairness to others.We kept in touch on occasion for several years; I think the last time we spoke was when he was working on the landscaping for Eastfield Mall. When I think back over my many years of teaching--I retired from Agawam High School in 2002--Jeff is one of the ones that helped to make my teaching career very worthwhile.
All the best to you,
Judi Gallant Lech