Services scheduled for Utah tornado victim

Monday, Aug. 16, 1999 | 10:48 a.m.

A memorial service for Allen Crandy, a Las Vegan who died Wednesday when debris from a tornado in Salt Lake City struck him in the head, will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday at Palm Mortuary, 7400 W. Cheyenne Ave.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Crandy, 38, was president and co-founder of Families for Effective Autism Treatment. He and his wife, Jan, were instrumental in passing Assembly Bill 280, which made it illegal for institutions to use physical restraints to control disabled children. Such restraints include spraying patients in the face with water or forcing them to do sit-ups.

The father of an autistic daughter, Crandy also formed a nonprofit organization that provides nearly two dozen local and regional families access to autistic research and information that encourage intense therapy and support.

His goal was to form a treatment center for people with autism.

A rare tornado swept through Salt Lake City just before 1 p.m. Wednesday while Crandy, an employee of Renaissance Management Inc., was supervising the setup for an Outdoor Retailers convention.

About 100 people were injured. Crandy was the only fatality.

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