Obituary of Mary Anne Crafts

Mary Anne Crafts (Seward) died on February 14, 2020 after a brief illness. She was 90. Mary Anne was born in Providence, Rhode Island, daughter of the late Ralph Pray and Lucy Burnham Seward. Later, she attended State College Public Schools because her father was a professor at Penn State. Mary Anne sang in the acapella choir while she attended State College Area High School. Mary Anne was an avid Penn State football fan until the very end of her life. She graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine following the footsteps of her paternal grandmother who also went to Colby College. She majored in history at Colby and also attended Katharine Gibbs College in Providence, R.I. to study business administration and criminal justice. Mary Anne had a lengthy career with the Department of State in Washington, D.C. In 1954, she married Redding Lay Crafts. They were married for 57 years until his death in 2011. In 2001, Mary Anne and Redd returned from Great Falls, Virginia to her hometown of State College to live. In their retirement, Mary Anne and Redd enjoyed traveling the world. They were often accompanied by Mary Anne's sister, the late Marjorie Seward, also of State College. Mary Anne is survived by her brother, Gordon Seward, her dear friend and sister in law, Elizabeth Crafts, her nephews, Thomas Seward, Mark Seward, and Harry Morgan Crafts, Jr., her nieces, Lynn Crafts Crump, Margaret Crafts Lester, Susan Elizabeth Crafts, Amanda Elizabeth Crafts, and Sethany Gail Crafts. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Schlow Library Foundation, Schlow Library, 211 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com or on Facebook.