Obituary of Ruthette B. Crane

On February 17, 2022, Ruthette B. “Rudy” Crane passed away at age 89 on Hilton Head Island surrounded by loving family and a glorious view of the Atlantic Ocean.

As the sixth of nine children in the Behning family, Ruthette Marie was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Catonsville, M.D.  After earning a BFA from the Maryland Art Institute, she moved to Annapolis where she married her husband of 41 years, Charles L. Crane, Jr., an English professor at the U.S. Naval Academy.  While raising their three children, she worked as an administrative assistant for the Maryland State Legislature, the Maryland Department of Aging, Jewish Social Services, and others.  In 1986, she and husband Charles retired to Ocean Pines, where she enjoyed playing tennis and drawing with pastels. Her interest in the visual arts and outgoing, charming way with people led her to participate in various social clubs: USNA Women’s Club; Quilters by the Sea; Embroiders’ Guild of America; Art League of Sussex County and multiple book clubs. After Charles’ passing, she moved to Jacksonville, FL, and more recently to Hardeeville, SC.

Rudy’s passion for art, zest for life, and love of the common man are part of the legacy she left to be carried on by friends and family for generations to come.

Ruthette is survived by children Charlene (Sean), Laurence (Jane), and Louise Dennis (Dan Rybak); grandchildren Chuck Dennis, Lauren, and Benjamin; siblings Bill Behning and Connie Sroka; faithful confidante and sister-in-law Mary Kennedy Behning; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A private Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Crescent Hospice, 10 Buckingham Plantation Dr., Bluffton, SC 29910, Attn: Corrie Van Dyke, c/o Ruthette B. Crane.