Nov 19 2009
Jim Cranston,MCSA, MCDST, MCP, PCHT, SCA, HDA, CSS, SDP 1956-2009
It is with unbelieveable sadness that I share with you that yesterday we lost a valued instructor, graduate and friend. Jim Cranston has passed away from what appears to be an infection associated with strep throat. At this point we do not know any service details but his family believes it will be sometime early next week.
James, Keith, Jason and David will be covering the instruction for your classes until we assign a permanent replacement.
Please share with us what Jim meant to you, the impact he made on your life, your favorite memory of Jim. We will be sharing your responses with his family and would love to have something to share at the services.
Jim was an inspiration to each of us and will be truly missed.
I am a current student at PCPro and am deeply saddened by the loss of this fine man, I was just starting to get to know Jim, and I was really looking forward to the tutoring and mentoring that Jim could bring to the table…Jim will be missed, this is a very sad time for me… I will miss Jim,very, very much as it is hard especially for guys our age to get going in this IT field, I could relate to Jim, and he had such a fun peronality in addition to being the real professional in class that he was…goodbye Jim, I will miss you…
Jerry Winiarski
Jim was by far the most caring instructor that we had at PC ProSchools.
School was very tough, and he made sure that he told us on a regular basis how important it was for us to never give up and keep pushing hard.
If it weren’t for Jim constantly pushing us all, I am sure that most of us would have given up.
He was a huge inspiration to me personally, and I know that many others can say the same.
I was very saddened to hear the news of Jim’s passing.
I know that he will be missed by those who were closest to him.
My symapthies go out to the family and his close friends.
Just wanted to share a quick story:
I brought my motorcycle into work one day… I put everything that I would need for the day in my backpack but managed to forget my entire purse… Including I.D., cash and credit card. I live about an hour away and needed gas before I got home, so I was in a bit of a panic when I ran into Jim outside. He didn’t think twice and gave me the few dollars I needed to make it home. It seemed to me that offering help was just the normal, everyday thing to do to him. He was one of a kind and we will definitely miss him.
-Kristen (Assistant Academic Advisor, PC Pro)
To me, Jim was more than my instructor. He was my mentor. More importantly, he was my friend. He went out of his way to help me, and was solidly in my corner when things got very difficult for me. I failed my 271 and 272 exams by 1 question each, and almost quit school. He called me to discuss my situation and to tell me of the faith he had in me, that he KNEW I could pass and be successful. He was always willing to teach, to listen, to care. I’ve known him since July, but I feel like I am a better man for having known him. He will be greatly missed by everyone who ever had the pleasure of spending any time with him. I am going to dedicate the rest of my time at PC Pro in his honor, and I know I will get my certifications because he believed in me when I didn’t believe in my self.
Thank you Jim, for being a great instructor, mentor, friend.
Dan Anderson, Track 2002
I did not know Jim personally,but i remember my first 2 video lectures with Jim. He was a very likable guy and i learned alot from his video lectures and i liked his sense of humor to. I did not know Jim personally but i miss him. I just recieved my first certification today and Jim was apart of that. To the family, please accept my deepest condolences for your loss.
I am a current student at PCPro Schools, and Jim took over our class about a month or so ago. In that short period of time I didn’t get to know him well, but felt we were well on our way to being friends. His warmth and humor were as helpful as his constant encouragement, and his obvious enjoyment of what he was doing.
I am saddened that I didn’t have more time to get to know him better, I know I would have been the better for it. And in all honesty, the rest of my track just became harder as well as the connection I had with Jim was helping me along in my studies as much as his actual instruction was. He came late in life to teaching – but he was well-suited for it. He will be greatly missed.
My prayers go out for his family in this awful time.
For anyone who would like to attend the services, or have a contact point to use to pass on well-wishes and support to his family that may not have found the information elsewhere:
Visitation: Monday, November 23, 2009 from 4:00-7:00 PM at Krause Funeral Home 9000 W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee. Continued visitation at the Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 from 9:30-10:30 AM.
Service: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:00 AM at Faith UCC, 4240 N. 78th Street, Milwaukee
Cemetery: Procession to Wisconsin Memorial Park, 13235 W Capitol Dr
Brookfield, WI 53005
Jim was a great mentor and an exceptional teacher. His stories about his love for his scottish heritage were great. He will be truely missed. He is now enjoying his other passion for fishing in heaven. I wish the best for his family in this time of great sadness. I an truely sorry for their loss. May God be with them during this time.
Jim was more of a friend to me than a co-worker. We hung out together after work, played Call of Duty together online (where he pwned me many times), and sometimes just sat around and talked about life. I was going to go fishing with him for smallmouth bass on the Wisconsin River this year, but we just never found the time, and that eats at me so much.
Jim had an incredible outlook on life and always had a nice thing to say or advice he could offer. He could make a person laugh so hard, your sides and cheeks would hurt! I lost count of how many times he had me literally rolling on the floor.
His understanding of the struggles students went through at PC ProSchools made him an exceptional instructor and mentor.
Jim has to be one of the nicest, truthful, and most respectful people I have ever met. He left us too soon, and I am really, really going to miss him. A lot.
-James Kluskens
Instructor, PC ProSchools