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8/2/04 A crowd of dozens packed Sugar Magnolia's Saturday night to pay
musical tribute to David Crane, a popular member of Lompoc's community
of musicians who died July 15 after a year-long battle with liver
cancer.
"As someone who was lucky enough to know David," said J.T. Matherly, a
friend and fellow musician. "I know he wouldn't want to be eulogized.
This is how he'd want to be remembered, with music."
That
sentiment was echoed over and over by the people who attended Saturday's
memorial.
"He
was just incredibly full of life. He just lived every moment to the
fullest," said Susan Krisher, who owns Sugar Magnolia's. Crane worked
for Krisher, and it was in Sugar Magnolia's that he met his wife,
Brenda.
Local
musician Emily Wryn expressed much the same sentiment.
"He
loved life so much," Wryn said. "If you were feeling down or upset, he'd
just brighten up your day."
Crane
and his wife were married only three and a half years, but Krisher said
the time they had together was extraordinary. "She had more love in
those three and a half years than most people have in a lifetime."
In an
interview with The Record in May 2002, Crane said he grew up in a
musical family.
"Music is in my blood. My mom played the guitar and my dad sang," he
said.
One
of three boys, he learned to play guitar when he was 12 years old and
began writing music in his early 20s. "I was in cover bands for the
first few years," Crane said, explaining that he felt untrue to himself
not playing his own music.
Born
in Vancouver, Canada, he visited friends in Vandenberg Village in 2000
and immediately fell in love with the area.
"I
loved the quiet, less pretentious lifestyles Lompoc offered," he told
The Record. "I had lived in Los Angeles at one point and had enough of
big cities."
Musician Johnny Townsend said Crane remained strong and upbeat even as
he battled the ravaging effects of the cancer.
Townsend smiled when he recalled how Crane would always respond when
friends asked how he was doing. "He'd say, 'Not bad, for an old guy.'"
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By
Crane's request, Townsend said the band he loved will likely continue
after his death.
"I
wanted to lay off for a while," Townsend said. "But he wanted me and
Brenda to go on playing music."
According to Matherly, at least one CD of music recorded before Crane's
death is being produced.
Though the music at Sugar Magnolia's was mellow and soft, and the crowd
seemed upbeat and lively, there was still the sense in the room of what
was lost. A few people leaned on one another for support, but everyone
who was there knew David would want them to enjoy the music.
As
Krisher's eyes swept around the packed room, a soft smile tugged at her
face.
"He
would be so proud," she said. "This is what he would have wanted."
Donations to help the Crane family defray their substantial medical
bills can be made at Sugar Magnolia's, or at the CoastHills Federal
Credit Union.
Correspondent Tammy Cravit can be contacted at tammy@wordsofwonder.net.
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