ROCKPORT - William Humphrey Crandall, 83, of Rockport, passed away at Quarry Hill Skilled Nursing following a bout with pneumonia and other underlying health issues of which he put up a courageous proactive fight. He was born in Erie, Pa., on Sept. 17, 1933, and was the son of the late William Montague Crandall and Alice Humphrey Crandall.

Bill, a magna cum laude graduate of Deerfield Academy and Yale University, received his master's degree in artificial intelligence from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Following his 1955 graduation from Yale, Bill was commissioned as first lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He learned to be a deep sea diver at New London, Conn. He served aboard the USS Tringa under Cmdr. Norval Eugene "Nick" Nickerson.

Following an honorable discharge, he entered the business of insurance, which combined would occupy almost the following two decades. A 32nd degree Mason, he first worked with his father's insurance agencies in and around Union City, Pa., before joining the Hartford Insurance Group. Still later he joined the Insurance Company of North America in Philadelphia, where he was in charge of market planning as vice president and chief actuary, and vice president, marketing, and personal insurance.

In 1976, he left INA to become affiliated with Security Insurance Group as vice president, field operation, and served as senior vice president, Agency Division.

In 1982, he acted as president, Agency Division, at Orion Group Inc.

In his final years in insurance, he worked for Tillinghast-Towers Perrin, where he consulted companies in the area of risk management.

Bill was an avid gardener, sailor, long distance runner, enjoyed operas and classical music, was a voracious reader, and took pride in home maintenance chores with his son, Dean, for which most people pay services for.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothea Jackson Crandall; two sons, Dean J. Crandall of Rockport and John J. Crandall of Bronx, N.Y.; a sister, Linda C. Smith and her family of Cranberry Twp., Pa.

Private family interment will be held in the summer of 2017 in Northwester, Pa.

In lieu of flowers, contribution in his name may be made to Union City Public Library, 2 Stranahan Street, Union, PA 16438.

Arrangements are with Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service.