Obituary of Roberta Louise Crane

Roberta Louise Crane, 66, of Vilas, NC, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loving family and friends, on Wednesday, September 1, after a 3 year battle with liver cancer. She leaves behind her husband of 37 years, Wayne Braffman; her son Christopher Pfeifer and grandsons Adam Pfeifer and Bryan Heiselman of Blairstown, NJ; nieces Kay Henning Hopkins of Springfield, VA, and Carol Henning Snyder of Carrollton, GA, and their families; sisters-in-law Marsha Abraham, Lorna Gruber, Heidi Golightly, and their families; and a host of friends. Roberta, affectionately known as "Bertie," was the daughter of Estelle Meads Crane and grew up in Mountain Lakes, NJ, where she attended The Wilson School. She moved to Newark, NJ, in 1972. During her 14-year residence there, she restored a brownstone in the Lincoln Park Historic District, was a photographer for the Newark Public Information Office, and later became the Director of City Without Walls: An Urban Artists Collective. In 1986, she and her husband began a 10-year venture as the proprietors of the Tyler Hill Bed & Breakfast in Tyler Hill, PA. After moving to North Carolina in 2000, she worked as a health care technician at Broughton Hospital in Morganton. She retired 4 years ago. Two of Bertie's life-long passions were animal welfare and the visual arts. Donations may be made, in her memory, to organizations supporting these endeavors. A virtual memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 23. For information on how to participate, please e-mail: waynebraffman@yahoo.com. Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory of Boone, NC is serving the family. On-line condolences may be sent through the website of www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com