Julia Manci Gardner Crane, 29, born in 1979 in Birmingham, lived most of her life in Daphne, died Saturday, March 21, 2009.
In 1998 she graduated from Bayside Academy, where she authored the school’s Alma Mater. She received numerous awards for academic achievement and scholarship in creative writing and art. She served as editor of “Bayside Currents” and received awards for her editorials. She was a student ambassador for the Ichihara-Mobile Sister City Program. She founded the Literacy Club for Kids and gave of her time to tutor children in reading.
She earned a baccalaureate degree in astronomy/physics at Smith College in North Hampton, Mass., in 2002 where she made scholarly contributions to the field of astronomy research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She authored numerous publications.
She taught astronomy at St. Paul’s Prep School in Connecticut and then pursued postgraduate studies at Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts. In 2005 she returned to Daphne, where she founded her own business in the design and manufacture of unique wire wrap jewelry.
She married Paul E. Crane Jr. in 2007 and was preceded in death by her husband the same year.
Survivors include her parents, Lloyd L. Gardner and Elizabeth A. Manci; two siblings, Todd M. Gardner of New York and David M. Gardner of Daphne; six aunts, Jeanette M. Torbert, Sue Manci Coppejans, Jane G. Ashley and Estelle G. Chitwood; two uncles, Joseph A. Manci and William Alexander Manci; in-laws, Paul and Heike Crane; many other family relatives and friends.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 26, 2009, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 20788 N. Main St., Daphne.
The family requests memorial donations be made to Bay Rivers Art Guild, 1704 Sixth St., Daphne, AL 36526; phone (251) 621-0659.
Arrangements are by Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Daphne.
