Dan T. Craine Obituary (1929 - 2016) - Schuylerville, New York

Dan T. Craine of Quaker Springs, died of lung cancer Sunday January 3, 2016 at the age of 86. The only child of Dan T. Craine (1879--1928) and Ruth Chamberlin Craine (1889--1993), Dan was born and raised in Buffalo NY, attended DeVeaux Military School in Niagara Falls, and was graduated from Lafayette High School in Buffalo in 1947. He served in the US Air Force from 1947 to 1954 in Texas, Adak in the Aleutian Islands, Korea and Japan, and was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant. On the GI Bill of Rights, he earned a BA in Philosophy from the University of Buffalo and an MA in English Literature from Syracuse University, 1960. Dan taught English classes at Skidmore College in the early1960s and was an English Professor at the Sage College's Albany campus from 1963 to 1990. For the first 15 years of his retirement, he led literary discussion classes in English and American masterpieces in the Academy for Learning in Retirement sponsored by Empire State College. A founding member of ALR, Dan also became the first President of their Executive Council. Dan has been a member of the Quaker Springs United Methodist Church since the early 1970's where he has held almost every position from Youth Leader, Treasurer, Lay Leader, Secretary and Newspaper Editor. For ten years he was President of the Town of Saratoga's Board of Assessment Review. Dan met the love of his life, Marion, at the University of Buffalo in 1956. They were married on June 11, 1957. In January, 1961, they bought a former dairy farm in the Quaker Springs area and have enjoyed every day of living in this ideal nature preserve for more than 59 years. Dan loved reading, listening to classical music, photography, traveling with Marion to Maine and Florida and bird watching whenever and wherever they could. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marion Kussem Craine and two bright and beautiful daughters: Katherine Craine of New Providence, NJ and Rebecca (Pieter) Staats of Red Hook, NY and two really nifty grandsons, Nathaniel and Lucas Staats. Both are very grateful for all the love and support they have received from Church friends and neighbors. It's been a great ride! A memorial service will be held at the Quaker Springs United Methodist Church on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. with reception to follow. Donations in Dan's memory may be made to the Quaker Springs United Methodist Church, 466 Route 32 South, Schuylerville, NY 12871, Saratoga County Hospice, 179 Lawrence St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, or to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, 267 Ballard Rd., Gansevoort, NY 12831.