STRATTON BROOKS CRALLE

Stratton Brooks Cralle, 85, of San Angelo and Christoval died early Monday morning on June 05, 2006 after a courageous battle with cancer. Visitation will be held at Robert Massie Funeral Home on Friday, June 9, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. A memorial service will be celebrated at First Christian Church at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 12, 2006 with Rev. Ben Hubert and Rev. Philip Jones presiding. Strat was born in Oklahoma City on August 3, 1920 to Dr. Walter O. Cralle and Marian Stuart Brooks. The family moved to Springfield, Missouri in 1925, where his father was head of the Sociology and Economics Department at Southwest Missouri State University. In 1941, Cralle earned his engineering degree from the University of Oklahoma where his grandfather, Stratton D. Brooks, had served as its president. During WWII, he worked for Sperry Engneering in England, as support for the 432nd Bomb Squadron developing and maintainining gyroscopes for bomb sighting instrumentation. He was injured and returned to the U.S., but was able to celebrate V-E day in Times Square. After his first marriage ended, he moved to San Angelo in 1953. In 1956, he married his Elizabeth Weatherford, a war widow with three small children, Sherry, Robert and Sylvia, who he raised as his own. In 1960, Strat and Elizabeth had their only child, Cathy. In the late 1990's, he was reunited with his first daughter, Susan. He worked for and then bought Concho Concrete, doing the concrete work for the then-new Central High School campus, helping to lay the foundation for First Christian Church, and erecting the Assembly Hall at Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat. In 1965, he founded Candy Specialties, Inc., where he manufactured advertising lollipops including, with Sam Lewis, the famed jalapeño lollipop. In 1979, he retired and began building their dome home on, as Strat called it, "our 8 acres of heaven" on the South Concho River in Christoval. He was an active member of First Christian Church, serving as elder, youth sponsor, board chair, area moderator, and was a lifetime member of the Board of Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat. As a long-time member of Rotary, he served as Club and District President and he and Elizabeth served as host family for numerous exchange students. He was on the Board of the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank and as recently as last year helped deliver Meals on Wheels. He served on the Board of Rio Concho Manor from dreaming stage until completion in 1966, and truly enjoyed living his last years there. He loved playing bridge, sailing with the Concho Yacht Club and scouting. He served more than 20 years as Scout Master for Troop 2 and Troop 9 in San Angelo. In 1969, he was awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest award that a council can confer on an adult volunteer. In July of last year, his former scouts and friends honored him on "Strat Cralle Day" as proclaimed by the City and Tom Green County. Strat was delighted and humbled by the many who had gathered in his honor. He was preceded in death, 1992, by his beloved wife Mary Elizabeth Ward Cralle. He is survived by two sons Robert Weatherford and wife, Becky of Fredericksburg and Douglas Gray Peterson of Rocky Point, Mexico; four daughters, Sherry Hodges of Christoval, Sylvia Pate of Hillsboro, Cathy Cralle Jones and her husband, Rev. Phil Jones of Cary, N.C. and Susan McCabe of Skellytown, TX; two sisters, Marian Anderson of Harlingen and Marcia Hames of Tulsa, OK; eight grandchildren, Walter, Mike and Will Hodges, Scott Weatherford, Rachael Weatherford Jimenez, Stacie McCabe Ocnaschek, Hannah Elizabeth Cralle Jones and Zachary Stratton Cralle Jones; one great grandchild Brianna Hodges; his many Boy Scouts, and his family of faith at First Christian Church. He and the family wanted especially to thank Jeannie Clagg, Dr. Vayden Stanley, and the other staff of VistaCare, and Lynn Alexander, who showed him and his family so much support and love during his illness. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to First Christian Church, 29 N. Oakes, San Angelo 76903, VistaCare Hospice Foundation, 402 N. Bryant Blvd, San Angelo 76903, or Lake Brownwood Christian Retreat, 9105 CR 460, Brownwood, TX 76801.