The world lost a shining light on May 13th, 2023 when Gari Lynne Crayne of Port Richey, FL passed away at the age of 84. As a devoted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and a faithful woman of prayer for countless people, she is greatly appreciated and missed.

She was born in Detroit, MI on August 20, 1938 to Earl and Urith Crayne. She and her parents lived in Lincoln Park, Michigan where her father worked for Ford Motor Company for many years. Graduating in 1956 from Lincoln Park High school as valedictorian, she continued her education at Dearborn Jr College and Wheaton College earning a BA in library science. She later attended the University of Michigan as education was a lifelong endeavor for her.

She studied and/or worked at University of Haifa, Hebrew University, Bethlehem Bible College, American Institute of the Holy land studies, and in various public schools. She was known for her skills as an editor and helped a number of organizations, as well as individual authors, to prepare their publications.

In 1969, at the invitation of author Jerry Bridges, she went to work for the Navigators in Colorado. By that time she had become committed to the cause of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. This commitment found several outlets including helping disciple new believers through bible studies and teachings and, especially, through praying for them and others.

Her commitment to prayer is one of her most enduring and endearing qualities that many remember with fondness, a gift that she labored with for her friends and many other individuals, organizations, and nations around the world. Her letters, from the many ministries she supported, were read over with an eye towards what issues needed prayer, which were marked accordingly, and faithfully prayed for. When speaking with friends she would often stop to pray with them about their burdens or the challenges they were facing. Gari Lynne had many deep friendships with people around the world, many of whom she corresponded with by letter and spoke with by phone until nearly the end of her life.

Gari Lynne’s friends remember how her love of hospitality directed her, as long as she was physically able, to present wonderful spreads of tea and treats upon a beautifully set table. A statuesque and well dressed woman, she greeted people with a warm smile. She remembered their names, took a deep interest in people’s lives, and listened well. As a loving friend, she kept up with details in people’s lives and offered encouraging words, wisdom from scripture, and prayer with them. She led Bible studies, loved to teach from God’s Word, and to encourage her friends towards a deeper relationship with her Lord and a greater knowledge of the Bible.

Having lived in Israel the greater part of twenty years in the 80s and 90s, Israel and its history, its prominence in scripture, and its people were a great passion in her life. She had a strong biblical vision of Israel and God’s covenant with the Jews.

She loved living with His chosen people and praying for them to come to salvation in Jesus Christ. She had the opportunity to receive residential status in Israel but gave it up to go back to Florida to take care of her elderly parents until they passed. Though back in America, her heart still yearned for Israel, and she kept a keen interest in it. Over the years she even took a few blessed friends back with her to share the beauty of the country with them.

Gari Lynne’s extensive library also reflected her love of Israel, containing historical books regarding customs, politics and peoples of the Middle East. Many of her books, volumes in some cases, were written about the Bible and its different books: concordances, commentaries, and books on the lives of missionaries and peoples in history who changed the world.

She loved reading, taking notes, and sharing fascinating insights with friends, guests, and towards the end, caregivers and medical staff. Her favorite book was the Bible and she loved reading, then praying through passages by which she was inspired. She subscribed to DayTimers, a monthly schedule planner and notebook which she used regularly. A significant and tender part of what she used her DayTimers for was to write out scripture, prayers, and thoughts in the pages provided for notes. Looking through the pages of these hundreds of DayTimers, one could glean the importance of her relationship with God. It was clear how she trusted in His forgiveness of her sin because her Savior, Jesus, had willingly died for her.

As Gari Lynne’s health declined she continued to care for her friends and her caregivers, as the needs of others still weighed heavily on her and she dutifully prayed for them, even when she was confined to her apartment and bed during her last years. Until almost the end, Gari Lynne communicated with intelligence and clarity of mind with those around her and continued to bless and minister to her friends. At her burial in Defoe, Kentucky, she was laid to rest alongside her grandparents, Lindsay Ellis and Ruth Shaw Ellis, by a few close friends. The most profound effect she had had on those present were her prayers with and for her friends, and her deep abiding support and love for them.

One of those present was Laura Noder, a Child Evangelism Fellowship missionary, who Gari Lynne had loved, supported, and prayed over and with for quite a few years. She shared a deep gratitude for the role that Gari Lynne had in her life and ministry during that time. Any gifts or donations that friends want to give in Gari Lynne’s honor, we ask to be given to Laura Noder of CEF of Greater Louisville.

Laura Noder

PO Box 18244

Louisville, KY

18244

Friends of Gari Lynne are gathering in Defoe, Kentucky on March 17th, 2024 for the placing of her headstone and to remember her and celebrate her life. To read her headstone, see the photo album below.