Jamey "Juke" Cranstoun, of Mullica Hill, NJ, passed away on April 19, 2015 at the age of 47.
Beloved husband for 12 years of Kimberley Cranstoun (nee Biddulph), devoted father of Caeley Elisabeth Cranstoun. Dear brother of Mark Cranstoun and his wife Kelly, Steve Cranstoun and his wife Landi and Anne Marie Kunz and her husband Kevin. Jamey was predeceased by his parents, Stanley and Noreen Cranstoun (Nunziato).
"I paint a little, work out a little, play guitar a little and play soccer A LOT!" I'm a quiet, normal, shy guy who eats his vegetables (usually), goes to church on Sundays, and likes to learn new things. I'm a Jack of all trades looking for a Jill'.
This was the description of himself that Jamey placed on a dating website. It typifies him, especially the soccer part. It was also the description that led his wife, Kim, to respond back to Jamey after he initially reached out to her on that website.
Jamey was a quiet, humble and kind soul. He was the ballast to his wife, Kim's frequent fluctuations. He was a dedicated and devoted father who adored his daughter Caeley. In fact, Jamey's main goals in life were never career or financial success: his goals were simple. He wanted to marry, have children (he'd hoped for 4--his lucky number) and live in an old fixer-upper home with a white picket fence out front. He was able to achieve some of his dreams.
Jamey was a helpful and brilliant employee during his 10 year career at TD Bank. He made many close and devoted friends there.
He was a beast on the soccer field. He wasn't a goal scorer. He definitely wasn't the tallest man on the field. But he was the player every teammate wanted out there--solid, driven, wise dedicated to winning and doing whatever it took to win.
He was a tender youngest child to his parents Stan and Noreen. He was a loving and caring to his brothers Mark, Steve and his sister Anne Marie. He was a playful and helpful uncle to his nieces and nephews. He was a friend to many and a help to all he met.
Family and friends are invited to his visitation on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 from 6-9 pm at FERTIG FUNERAL HOME, 63 N. Main St., Mullica Hill, NJ 08062. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, April 22, 2015 promptly at 10 am at The Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit RC Church, 17 Earlington Ave., Mullica Hill, NJ. Burial will be in Steelmantown Cemetery Green Burial Preserve, 101 Steelmantown Rd, Woodbine, NJ 08270 at 1PM.
There will be no visitation on Wednesday prior to Mass nor will there be a procession to the cemetery. Everyone who is interested in attending the burial is kindly asked to meet at the cemetery.
**The family requests all those celebrating Jamey's life wear bright colors. No black, please.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to Samaritan Hospice at www.samaritannj.org/memorial-gifts.
Jamey and I became allies back in 1983 the first time I met him. His brother Mark took me to meet his family when they still lived on Green Ave in Lawrenceville. Here I am a girl from Illinois meeting my future husband’s family and feeling a little nervous. I walk in through the front door, which I believe is the last time I used the front door, and there he was Jamey. He was 18 at the time wearing the biggest grin ever with a duster in his hand! He wanted the house to look nice for me so he was dusting the antique light fixture his parents had purchased on one of the family vacations in Maine. I think that is when I fell in love with Jamey~
I thought who does that? He has got to have a great heart and a gentle soul and I was correct on both counts. Jamey and I bonded and became each other’s touch points in the Cranstoun world; we both “hid” while playing a mean game of “Oh Hell”. While the brothers Mark and Steve tried to out maneuver each other and Stan and Anne Marie were natural card sharks Jamey and I tried to fly under the radar- we bid zero the entire game and had an understanding that we were the Card Sharks the others were just trying too hard!
Jamey became the younger brother I never had. He put up with this Irish Catholic girl (yes the temper is always just below the surface) and I believe I filled a space in his heart that was incomplete since his mother passed away. He adored Anne Marie, so the sister role didn’t need feeling, but I became an older confidant that he knew loved him unconditionally and was fiercely protective of him. He once called me to ask when he would know if the girl he met was the “one”. We talked for a while and the next thing I knew he had broken up with the girl he was dating. He met Kim a few years later and called me again, “You know that talk we had about the “one” I found her.”
Once Jamey found Kim all the empty spaces of his heart were filled by her. He didn’t need me as his confidant now, I became the older sister he could share stories with of his wife. Jamey’s heart grew even more when Caeley was born and then he would call and share proud dad moments.
I was eternally grateful that Kim and Caeley entered his life; he was complete and happier than I had ever known him to be.
Jamey, the best ally a girl could have in life!
