- Date Of Birth: May 28, 1922
- Date Of Death: April 23, 2009
- State: Michigan
Dr. Mark L. Crum Jr. Died suddenly Thursday, April 23, 2009 at his home in Kalamazoo. He was born on May 28, 1922, in Pittsburgh, Penn., to Mark Crum Sr. and Elizabeth Musser. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Jean Crum, and her daughters Anne Laurent Kelly, Elisabeth Sochacki Michael and Catherine Schau Jordan, his daughter Faith VanLiere Mark of California, his brother Robert Crum Dorothy of California, his grandchildren Emma and Dana Schau; Andrew, Katherine, and Jacqueline Sochacki; and Aaryn and Patrick Zimmerman.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Margaret Peterson. He was a loving and deeply caring husband, father, brother and grandfather. He will be remembered for his constant kindness, his smile for every person he encountered, and his ever-present sense of humor. His enduring gentleness, patience and wisdom made him “a true gentleman,” as the Kalamazoo Gazette dubbed him in 1986, upon his retirement from nearly 30 years as the director of the Kalamazoo Public Library.
During his tenure there, he oversaw construction of a new library building in 1957, started the Bookmobile service, established branch libraries and began the installation of computers. Dr. Crum graduated from the University of Pittsburg and the Carnegie Library School, and earned his doctorate in education from Western Michigan University. He served in the United States Army during World War II with a tour of duty in Saipan, and completed his military service after another tour of duty during the Korean War. As a young man, he completed a year of volunteer service in New York City with the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
He was active in many community organizations over the years, including the Michigan Library Association where he served as president, the Rotary and the Kalamazoo-Pushkin Russia sister-city committee. In his retirement, he continued to work as a reference librarian for the Comstock Public Library from 1990 until shortly before his death. Mark was a pilot and enjoyed flying passengers in his own plane, a Piper Cherokee 140, for many years. In his retirement, he was able to fulfill dreams of world travel and teaching.
He and Jean visited Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain and Europe. In 1990, he taught a semester of library science at the University of Hawaii. Above all, Mark adored his wife and devoted himself lovingly to her happiness during their 23 years of marriage. While recovering from his last illness, Mark remained selflessly focused on her well-being and care. Though he couldn’t fly anymore in his last years, he showed us the heights to which love and dedication can be taken. We will miss him deeply. Thank you, Mark, for allowing all of us to be a part of your life. Service to others was his life’s purpose, as reflected in this quote of his: “Respect and nurture in yourself what is your best talent, and then use it in service for other people. That’s why we’re on this earth.”
