Janet M. Crane

SOUTHPORT – Janet M. Crane of Southport died on Jan. 26, 2024, after several long illnesses. She was born on April 2, 1931, to Dr. Henry Roust and Dewella Wenstrom Roust, in Montevideo, Minn.

After what she always described as an idyllic childhood in Montevideo, shared with her older brother Norman, she attended Carleton College and earned a B.A. and M.A. in education at the University of Minnesota.

Jan loved the outdoors and instilled in her children a passion for hiking, skiing, canoeing, and camping (even in the most dreadful weather).

She had many gifts, including intelligence, wit, humor, and beauty, and later in life turned her considerable creative talents to writing plays. After writing her first play, she was accepted into the playwright’s workshop at the Actor’s Studio in New York, where she perfected the play which was then workshopped at the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts and led to a National Endowment for the Arts grant. The play later ran for two weeks 0ff-Off-Broadway.

She met her husband Lawrence Crane, the love of her life for 34 years, in another playwright’s workshop, and their wonderful life together included living on the rocky coast of Maine, spending time with their loving extended families, and writing and seeing plays.

In addition to her husband Larry, she will be dearly missed by her children Dr. Katharine Wenstrom (Dr. Dwight Rouse), Eric Paetow (Lana), Lincoln Paetow (Kertsiri Deema-Paetow), and stepchildren Deborah Komlo (Thomas) and Daniel Crane; along with six grandchildren, four step grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be held in the spring.

Arrangements are entrusted to Hall’s of Boothbay. To extend online condolences, light a candle for Jan or to share a picture or story, please visit Jan’s Book of Memories at http://www.hallfuneralhomes.com