John B. Cranmer Jr. served the county and taxpayers for 20 years as the county controller and was devoted to his family and church.

He was 97 when he died Jan. 28.

A 1945 graduate of Butler High School, Cranmer was a county controller, past chairman of the Franklin Township Zoning and Hearing Board, and secretary and treasurer of Franklin Township supervisors.

Jack McMillin, who was Cranmer’s chief deputy during his last four years in office before holding the office himself for 20 years, described Cranmer as a mentor who became a close friend.

“He hired me with the knowledge he was not going to run for another term,” McMillin said. “When he retired in 1994, I was elected, then I served 20 years like he did.”

Having never run for an elected office before, McMillin said he applied what he learned from Cranmer to his administration.

“The only thing I was ever elected to was president of my college fraternity,” McMillin said.

The controller is the county’s “fiscal watchdog” who signs thousands of invoices a year after carefully checking to make sure the bills were properly authorized and that contracts for the expenses were in place, he said.

“I never heard John Cranmer raise his voice or use profanity, but he demanded excellence from everyone who worked for him,” McMillin said. “I built on that during my tenure in office.”

He said he also continued Cranmer’s practice of hiring the most qualified people for his staff regardless of their political affiliation.

“He had Democrats, like I did, working in the office. He didn’t look at parties,” McMillin said.

Over the years, he said he became good friends with Cranmer and his family. After he retired, Cranmer would still stop by the office for visits.

“He was a good source of advice and counsel,” McMillin said.

McMillin said he and Cranmer remained close after he left office and they spoke a couple of times a month until he died.

“John will be missed. I admired him very much,” McMillin said.

Current Controller Ben Holland said Cranmer should be remembered for helping the county and taxpayers.

“He was a dynamic controller, especially in his day, implementing many new ideas for his time. His leadership positioned the county for financial success for years to come,” Holland said. “His 20 years of dedicated service demonstrated that he truly believed in the office and the important role the county controller plays on behalf of citizens and taxpayers.”

Cranmer’s daughter, Vickie Zaccari of Valencia, and son, Eric Cranmer of Chicora, said their father was a devoted family man who was active in church and community.

“He was very supporting, very faithful. He was very Christian and loved his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” Zaccari said.

He was active in Mount Chestnut Presbyterian Church and civic organizations, and made many friends through his involvement, Eric Cranmer said.

He was a lifelong member of Mount Chestnut Presbyterian Church. He was a former elder, financial secretary for the church building fund, Sunday school teacher and choir member.

In addition, he was a member of Butler Victory Lodge 272, New Castle Consistory and Syria Shrine. He also was a member of Butler Caravan 14, and was past president of Shrine Luncheon Club. He was a treasurer of Butler Camp of Gideons International. Also, he was a past president of the Kiwanis Club of Butler and the Pennsylvania State County Controllers Association.

“He enjoyed those friendships and relationships — some 50, 60 going on 70 years of friendships,” Eric Cranmer said. “He valued all the friendships and all the people he knew and worked with over the years.”

After he retired from the controller’s office, he and his late wife spent 10 years traveling in and outside the country, Zaccari said. She said her parents enjoyed the Butler Symphony and going out to see plays and musicals.

The siblings said their father enjoyed landscaping around their house and believed he used his time cutting the grass to do some of his best thinking.

“He was a great dad for us growing up. Very supportive, very loving, always there when we needed him; and that carried on through to our adult lives,” Eric Cranmer said.