ForeverMissed
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His Life
June 9, 2020
Roger was born in Reading, PA, the third of four sons of Chris and Florence Cranos. His father, born Christos Kocranos, immigrated to the United States by himself at age 14 to escape poverty and civil unrest in Greece. Chris met Florence Lloyd while they were both working at a resort in Bermuda. They moved back to her hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania at the beginning of the depression. There Chris worked as a server and maitre d’ at a restaurant and Florence worked at a bakery.

Roger had fond memories of growing up with his brothers  in a row house, a vibrant life lived on sidewalks and front porches.  Roger said growing up he was always determined to go to college and he attended Albright College in Reading, where he developed his love of literature and physics. He worked at the same restaurant as his dad throughout high school and college, and after graduating with a degree in physics, Roger joined the Air Force where he would become a research scientist.

Stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in his 20’s, he was thrilled to discover Yellow Springs, rich in the arts and progressive politics that he loved, where he lived most of the rest of his life.

Roger obtained a masters degree in Atmospheric Sciences from New Mexico State University and completed additional graduate work at Ohio State University. He worked in combat identification at WPAFB for 30 years, rising to the highest civilian position. In the 1960s, as a First Lieutenant in the Air Force, he oversaw the installation of an observatory and telescope at John Bryan Park as part of a research program in celestial guidance of navigation systems. After retiring from the Air Force in 1999, he worked as a consultant for another decade.

Roger was a dedicated community volunteer. During his graduate years, he taught physics in a prison. In Yellow Springs, he served on the boards of the Glen Helen Association and Chamber Music Yellow Springs, and  passionately supported these and other local nonprofits including Tecumseh Land Trust and Home, Inc. For years he was a driving force behind the Chamber Music Yellow Springs Tennis Tournament. In his retirement he volunteered as a driver at the Senior Center.

Roger was an avid volleyball and tennis player, a passionate Steelers’  and Penn State fan and a founding member of the Rectangular Table of Elder Wisdom at the Yellow Springs Emporium.  He loved the natural world, science, literature, classical music, Rachel Maddow, all things Yellow Springs, and the moon and the stars. Most of all, he cherished being with his daughters and grandchildren. 

Roger loved to travel; work and fun trips took him to the UK, Israel, Italy, Belgium, Spain, France, Turkey, Peru, Hawaii, and more. He often said his  favorite trip was with his daughters to his father’s mountain village in Greece, where he met and was welcomed by his father’s extended family.

Roger moved to Olympia, WA, with his two cats, Red and Shadow in December, 2018, to be closer to his daughters as he struggled with dementia. During the 18 months he lived in Olympia, he enjoyed daily visits and outings with his family. He relished attending recitals, choir concerts, soccer games, and school assemblies as well as weekly movie nights with his grandchildren and performances of the local symphony orchestra.