Kathy McCranie OBITUARY
On November 5, 2024, Kathy Lee McCranie died peacefully at home in Gilroy, CA, surrounded by her beloved family and devoted pets. She is survived by her husband Dan, her soulmate and best friend for over 58 years, as well as her daughter, Stacey and her son, Morgan.
Kathy was an only child, born in 1946 in Auburn, New York to Frank and Jessie Lasher. Following high school in Auburn, Kathy attended Radford College in Virginia, where she first met Dan, who was in his final year at Virginia Tech. They quickly realized that they each had found their true love and so married within six months, in May of 1966.
In the first 15 years of their marriage, the family moved extensively for career purposes, resulting in a total of 14 different residences across America. During that time, Kathy and Dan welcomed their daughter, Stacey in 1969, followed by their son, Morgan in 1974. Kathy never considered the multiple relocations as stressful or a personal burden and in fact approached each new move as another great life adventure.
In 1980, the family moved to the Bay Area of Northern California, where they have remained for the past 44 years. As the children grew, Kathy devoted herself completely to their care, guidance and support, and was active in all elements of their education and extracurricular activities. From the beginning of her arrival in California in 1980, Kathy and Dan personally hand-built equine facilities on their property, first for their daughter's horse, and then, after their daughter left for college, for Kathy's horses. Kathy became an accomplished equestrian western style rider, and then began to train and show in local events. After the children graduated from high school, she accelerated her equestrian show activity, first to California/Nevada events, and then eventually nationwide, winning frequently in her specialties.
Kathy had high energy, loved working at all levels, and always welcomed new adventures with fresh enthusiasm. To supplement the expenses in her equestrian showing, Kathy started and ran a small equestrian blanket repair business. In 1999, when health concerns forced the end of equestrian riding, the couple began over a decade of extensive international adventure travelling. In 2011, at the age of 65, Kathy and Dan opened a fine dining restaurant in Morgan Hill, California. Kathy worked tirelessly in the marketing and special events for the restaurant. In 2017, at the age of 71, she and Dan opened a small art framing and fine art gallery in Morgan Hill, California. In 2019, they launched construction of a major Fine Art Center facility in Morgan Hill, California.
A private service will be held in Morgan Hill, California. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation, in Kathy's name, to the Alzheimer's Association.
