Dennis Carl Crandall

A close friend from Dennis’ youth said to me recently, the friendship that he and Dennis shared was a thing that couldn’t be stopped, that the moment they were introduced to each other as boys, they were destined to be friends. Soon after they met, it was discovered that they were also distant cousins, and that sealed it for sure. They were two peas in a pod, and according to Dennis’s mom, “if anyone was ever going to get into trouble, it would be those two”. And they were friends for life. They experienced life, experienced the Marine Corps, and baby-boomer life in the 70’s. This guy knew the toughness, yet the goodness of Dennis. And about how well they knew each other? This comrade, this lifelong buddy of Dennis’s would say, “There is no one that can take that away from me”. I did not know much about his youth, or about his Marine Corps days, and I was but a child in the 70’s. But I do know about that bond he was talking about. And the impact that this man had on the lives of those who knew him well. I felt it too. I met Dennis, and within hours I knew he was a man who could be trusted. A man who had a heart of gold. As I grew to know Dennis, I learned about his more recent past. Which brings me to this. There are two reasons our family decided to suggest donating to a charity in lieu of flowers. The first reason is, flowers are beautiful and they are a wonderful expression of sympathy. All of them are lovingly welcomed… but flowers eventually fade away. The memory of Dennis will never fade away. The second reason is, the life that recently closed upon him was one which he filled so much with giving, that it just felt right somehow to allow the beautiful spirit of Dennis’s heart, to live on through the opportunity of giving to others. As I recall a loved one in the week of his passing said this: “One of the many things that people loved about Dennis was his willingness to be helpful and in his quiet ways try to improve, or to help change the lives of others.” Ok, sometimes it wasn’t quiet, but it is true, his heart of giving remained sure. Long ago, well over 20 years, Dennis was in a very different place. This dear man had traveled down a very rocky road, where in drugs and alcohol controlled his life. He was down and out, and living day to day in a blackberry patch beside an Oregon highway. He had been on this path for quite some time to get to this point, and one day came that he fell to his knees and talked to God, whom he had for so long neglected, and said to Him, “Please help me. I don’t want to live this way, and I don’t want to die this way.” What happened next was among the most amazing stories I’ve even heard. I may not have all of the facts straight, and I ask forgiveness if I leave any part or person out, because only you may know the role you played. Nevertheless, not long after the prayer, an old friend, whom hadn’t seen Dennis in years happened to cross the path of Dennis’ sister one day and he asked her about Dennis. She told him all about Dennis. Where he was, how he had been “living in a blackberry patch shooting needles in his arms, not caring if he lived or died…” (Dennis’s words quoted when he would tell his story). And the friend said, “the next time you see Dennis have him call me.” And he gave her a phone number. Now this person, who may know who they are, but shall remain anonyms for the purpose of this donation fund, was inspired to have his heart in the right place at the right time. And this place was that of wanting to offer up a helping hand to this long time friend who seemingly had lost his way. . Dennis made the call, realizing this was a once in a lifetime offer, and he grabbed on. His home then changed from the blackberries to a one room apartment and half a month’s rent paid, along with the statement…”You have two weeks to make rent. Go find a job.” Dennis recognized God’s hand in this immediately, and within days, landed a job and was able to make rent. There is much more to this amazing story. This is only the first chapter. But the point is, Our Father in Heaven saw the worth of a soul that night when Dennis looked up toward Him again. He placed a series of events in motion that allowed one man to be hanging a phone line over the exact alley through which Dennis’s sister walked, on that one day, after a certain prayer. It could have all gone so differently. I have to believe that because of his own experience, and the blessings that God poured out upon him, Dennis learned how important it was to pay it forward. And he has been doing so ever since. Dennis helped many others into sobriety. He was friend to any person that may have been seeking a better life, and was a true support to several who remain trusted friends of his to this very day. How sorely he will be missed by them. He had always been just a phone call away. He later reconnected with his church, and continued to be a very faithful servant, right up to the end. His membership and progression in the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints was one thing he felt very good about. He served others diligently. He had several callings all at once and loved every minute of keeping busy, doing the Lord’s work. As time went on, Dennis became an important part of his daughter’s life, doing all he knew how to do, in helping her finish growing up. He eventually met and married a woman with four young sons, becoming an instant step-father as well. One by one, and sometimes all at once, he helped to change their lives with his love and his compassion. As the boys grew, Dennis got involved with their cub scouts, and then their Boy Scout troops, he taught them to be gentlemen, and how honor their mother. This family became his focus, and his dedication to them was his greatest offering in this life. There is nothing he would not do for any of them. He was the fix-it guy. He was the happy-go-lucky, sometimes annoying, but excellent friend, husband, and father. He would never hold back who he really was, and how he really lived. Happiest when he could fix something, help someone, or surprise one of his sons or his sweetheart or his daughter. Even in recent times of extreme illness, this man went out of his way to lend a helping hand. It gives chills to my spine, the courage and fortitude he had to make it to where he got to in this life. From the sad, lonely man living in the blackberry patch with nothing, to the happy family man who acted like he owed them everything. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests to honor Dennis by offering donations to the Addiction Recovery Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We hope to help someone who might need a similar kind of hand up that Dennis received, and the kind he so often gave. We cannot seem to hold back our desires to give someone else the possibility of change, even if ever so small. Please send donations, c/o Sumner Ward, Bishop Earl Stuard,15003 Elm Street E., Sumner, WA 98390 And we sincerely thank you. Allison Jacqueline Crandall and family. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 28 at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 512 Valley Ave. Sumner. Interment will follow at Woodbine Cemetery, Puyallup.