William Francis Strane, 81

A father’s life story told from the heart of his children. Dad’s story began 81 years ago in Caewood, Ky., when the Good Lord decided the world was ready for what he was about to unleash upon it. In April 1935, William and Catherine Strane welcomed their middle child of seven, William Francis Strane.

Growing up in Johnstown, Pa., in a devout Irish Catholic home, Dad attended Catholic schools and had a deep personal knowledge of what buttons to push with his favorite Nuns. As he grew in height (peaking at an unheard of 6-foot-7 in those days) it became very apparent that idle hands were definitely the devils work.

Dad found basketball to be a great release of energy and a pathway to very great things. In high school, he became the star player and was often highly praised in his local paper. In one case this worked against him. The story goes that he was ill and told to stay home and not allowed to play in his school game. Not wanting to let his team down, he snuck out to play the game with a 102 temperature, scored his highest points and again making big news in the local paper. It wasn’t until the next day that his father learned of his son’s deception by reading of his amazing feats from the night before. This was typical Bill Strane behavior that has plagued his family his entire life. If Bill wanted to do something, there was no force in Heaven or Earth that would dissuade him.

In his late teens, he decided that the structure of the United States Air Force would give him direction and reign in his larger than life personality. As it turns out, the Air Force had a sense of humor as they rewarded that Irish Catholic boy by stationing him out of the country in the remote tundra of Alaska! Continuing his love of basketball, he was again the star of his team at Elmendorf Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, still holding one base record 60 years later.

While in the service, his first marriage blessed him with first born Kelly, followed by Patrick. In 1967, Carla Peters entered Dad’s life and in the spring of 1968 she began a journey unlike anything she had ever imagined. Married for 48 years and two more daughters, Kristine and Karyn, life was an amazing rollercoaster of love, laughter and hot-headed Irish tempers. After 35 years in Alaska, life took a different path that led to a retirement of 20 years in beautiful North Idaho.

On the evening of April 22, 2016, the Good Lord decided Dad had done all that he was meant to do on this Earth and it was time to bring him home. Dad closed his final chapter of this story, only to start a new one in his next. There to welcome him home were his parents, sisters and brothers, Maryellen (Min), Charlie (Bud), Anne (Tootsie) and Eleanor (Butchie). We know the pain of his loss is eased in his legacy of love left behind with his wife and children; siblings Carol and Pat; along with the abounding love of all of his grandchildren — Jennifer, Jason, Jessica, Garett, Ariel, Kelsey and Kade; and great-grandchildren, Paul, Nathan, Isabel and Ian.

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, 2016, at Mountain View Cemetery in Athol, Idaho. A celebration of life will follow at 3 p.m. at the Rathdrum City Park, 15456 N. Latah St. in Rathdrum, Idaho. English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene is handling all arrangements.