Bob Crane
July 13, 1928 – June 29, 1978
Robert Crane was a disc jockey from Connecticut who forayed his love of music and radio to Los Angeles…and, eventually, to an acting career. He dabbled with guest spots on popular shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Donna Reed Show before he was catapulted to fame as the titular colonel on CBS’s Hogan’s Heroes. As Robert Hogan, Crane earned a couple of Emmy nominations and enjoyed the show’s very successful six-year run. Sometimes, happiness is short-lived.
After Heroes went off the air, Crane spent the better part of a decade touring the dinner theater circuit while occasionally popping up as a guest star on shows like The Love Boat and Police Woman. He also liked to make “personal” videos with ladies he met at bars. His career (and life) decline culminated in 1978 when he was found dead in his Scottsdale, Arizona apartment. He was bludgeoned to death, but no weapon was ever found and no one was ever convicted of the murder. A friend (and fellow “personal” filmmaker) was the primary suspect, but due to some pretty terrible investigative work, the crime remains unsolved to this day.
Bob was originally interred at Oakwood Memorial Park, but in 1999, his 2nd wife had him dug up and moved to Westwood – presumably in anticipation of the arrival of his Hogan’s Heroes co-star, Richard Dawson, some 13 years later. Not really.
Burial
Westwood Village Memorial Park – Los Angeles, CA
Specific Location
Section D, Center Lawn; 4 or so rows South of the road (1 row south and 4 spaces to the east of Natalie Wood.)
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