Arthur Crandall, 94
Arthur Vondal Crandall of Kalispell, died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his children in his home on Dec. 30, 2022. He was 94 years old.
Art was born April 8, 1928 in Watertown, South Dakota and lived in several places throughout his childhood including Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Tupper Lake, New York. His father, William Greene Crandall, was a thoracic surgeon and his mother was a nurse. He had one brother, William Crandall.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Art began his military service in the Navy signing up near the end of World War II at the age of 17. He was honorably discharged in 1949.
He met the love of his life, Betty Detten, in 1951 while attending Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri. After a storybook courtship and romance, they were married Sept. 8, 1951 in St. Francis, Texas. They lived together for 52 wonderful years.
Art enlisted in the Air Force in 1951, during the Korean War and moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida. He was honorably discharged in 1953 and moved his new family to Denver, Colorado where he completed his undergraduate degree in business administration at Regis College. The family of four relocated to St. Louis, Missouri and where he received his Master of Business Administration in Hospital Administration from Washington University.
Art’s first job took the family to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Following that, he pursued many job opportunities in Texas including Edinburg, Austin, Port Arthur, Galveston and Houston. Art and Betty moved their 8 children to Missoula, Montana in 1967. After 9 years in Montana, Art took his final hospital administration job in Santa Rosa, California. In 1982 he opened a photo finishing business to pursue his lifelong passion of photography.
In retirement, Art moved with Betty to Rollins, Montana and built their dream home on Flathead Lake in 1993. Art and Betty nurtured their children through school, Catholic faith, and sports. They organized many reunions for their children, 21 grandkids and 20 great-grandkids. For the past 19 years Art’s ministry in the Catholic Church with Sunday readings was an important priority. He also had season tickets to watch his favorite football team, the University of Montana Grizzlies.
Art is survived by 7 children: Michelle Dauenhauer, Roxanne Baker, Bill Crandall, Rob Crandall, Mimi Lampert, Beth Deterding, Yvonne Petrunin.
Art was preceded in death by his wife Betty in 2004, his son ‘Lil Arthur in 1961, his daughter Arlynne 2005, and his brother William in 2021.
A Catholic rosary will be prayed on Thursday morning Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home. A funeral mass will be said at St. Matthew’s Church on the same day at 1 p.m.