David Braden McCracken January 26, 1935- March 3, 2019 David was born to Lamont and Cecil McCracken on January 26, 1935. He and his four siblings, Phyllis, Lemont, Joe, and twin-sister Diane, grew up on the family farm on the outskirts of Latrobe Pennsylvania (or as he loved to call it “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” for Fred Rogers used to play piano for his Sunday School class). The twins raised a fine piglet named ‘Petunia’ whom they both considered their first pet.
Early on, David showed a keen interest in singing and was a chosen for the all-state Pennsylvania choir while attending Derry Township High School. He attended Otterbein College on a music scholarship and (after a tour of duty in the Marine Corps in California) he received his Bachelor’s degree in theater arts. David was a lifelong Presbyterian.
While in California, he attended a service in Yucaipa, and instantly became enamored of the young resident organist Lucy Ann Woth, whom he married six months later. David began a career selling hi-end tech components for the Graybar corporation and after the birth of their son Roger in 1965, the McCracken family moved to Albany, Oregon to join his elder brother Lemont working at Wah Chang in the metallurgy and booming aerospace materials field. In 1970, the family welcomed daughter Nancy into the world.
David and Lucy were very active in the new “Born Again” movement with their home church, Calvin Presbyterian in Corvallis OR. Renewed in spirit and invigorated by the gospel message, at age 38, David made the daring decision to enter seminary and re-dedicate his life to becoming a pastor. The family moved to Andrew, Iowa where David served as pastor to two small churches while pursuing his Masters of Divinity (which he achieved in 1976).
After finishing his studies, he was called back to his home church in Corvallis where he served as associate Pastor until 1983. For many years, he and Lucy were the national leaders of Marriage Encounter for the Presbyterian Church. In an odd twist of fate, David was tasked with tending to the closing of a small failing church in Brownsville, OR.
This small “assignment” turned into a twenty-year long stewardship of a small but thriving small town congregation, where David and Lucy became an integral part of both the spiritual and civic lives of their new home town. After Lucy’s passing in 2004, David retired and fell in love with (and married) Barbara Edwards of Vancouver, Washington. He continued to sing with his church choir and the Vancouver USA Singers.
Upon the death of his second wife, David moved back to Albany. In 2012 in a memoir writing class, he was swept off his feet by another class member, Barbara Callner. Two years later they married and together spread great portions of joy among their friends and loved ones.
To those who knew David, his pursuits were varied: golf, bowling, singing in the O.K. Chorale, acting in community theater and participating in writing classes. His loves were his family, meeting new friends, music, and his faith. His passions were helping heal broken people and making the unloved feel loved.
AND ICE CREAM! David really, really loved ice cream! David was proceeded in death by father, Lamont McCracken; mother, Cecil Braden McCracken; brothers, Joseph McCracken and Lamont McCracken; sister, Diane McCracken Confair; son, Richard Allen McCracken; wife of 40 years, Lucy Ann McCracken; and second wife, Barbara Edwards McCracken.
He is survived by his sister, Phyllis Humphries; his wife, Barbara Callner; son, Roger McCracken; daughter, Nancy Kropf; grandsons, Brandon Kropf and Christopher Kropf; daughter-in-law, Amanda Kropf; great-granddaughter, 6-month-old Daisy; sister-in-law, Ruth Ann McCracken; and many beloved nieces and nephews. Memorial services for David will be held at United Presbyterian Church of Albany on Friday, March 15 at 2 p.m. For those wishing make a contribution in David’s memory we suggest either Samaritan Evergreen Hospice or the United Presbyterian Church of Albany. Online condolences for the family may be posted at www.
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