July 12, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Obituaries

Sandy Crimmins

Sandy Crimmins

Sandy Crimmins, 55, a poet, fiction writer and spoken word performance artist who had appeared frequently in the Philadelphia area, died July 2 of an apparent heart attack at her home in Mt. Airy.

Ms. Crimmins also was an editor and a freelance producer at venues such as the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Pieceworks, the Sedgwick Cultural Center in Mt. Airy and the former YWCA of Germantown.

Ms. Crimmins’ poetry appeared in the anthologies “Poets Against the War,” “Voices in Wartime,” “Meridian Bound,” “The Eternal Now!” and “Pagan’s Muse,” and in the online magazine The Pedestal. Her short stories were published in a variety of print and electronic journals, including American Writing, Schuylkill Valley Journal and Philadelphia Stories: The Best of 2004-2006.

Her performance work “Iowa Summer,” with musicians Richard Drueding and Stephe Ferraro, was released as a CD several years ago. Her show “El Cid in Flamenco and Flames,” based on a reworking of the classic Spanish poem “The Lay of the Cid,” brought together musician David Falcone’ choreographer and fire-eater Tomas Dura, and a troupe of flamenco dancers.

Ms. Crimmins’ chapbook, “String Theory,” a collection of poems, was published in 2005. In a review of this work, Rosemary Cappello, editor of Philadelphia Poets, said, “one feels the majestic strains of what the human soul can know.”

Many of Ms. Crimmins poems had an antiwar theme. In her poem “Sitting Under a Vine,” she concludes:

I realize my dream for the world is as Micah’s was:

That we should beat our swords into something useful

Then each find a vine

And sit

Undisturbed by anything

But the drift of breeze through leaves

And the lone drone of a bee

Entranced by the smell of wine

Active in her community, Ms. Crimmins was a member of the board of directors of the Mt. Airy Learning Tree and a former board member of the Sedgwick Cultural Center.

Born and raised in Trumansburg, N.Y., Ms. Crimmins was the daughter of the late James and Alice Kelleher Crimmins. She attended local public schools and graduated from Parsons College in Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in theater. She also had earned master’s degrees in theater directing from Ohio University and in nonprofit management from the University of Detroit.

Ms. Crimmins is survived by her husband of 21 years, Joseph Sullivan; sons Matthew and Brendan Sullivan; brothers David and Philip Crimmins, and sisters Margaret and Susan Crimmins.

A funeral Mass was celebrated July 7 at St. Vincent De Paul Church in Germantown. Interment was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham.

Memorial contributions may be made to Face to Face Inc. or Inn Dwelling Inc., c/o St. Vincent De Paul Church, 109 E. Price St., Philadelphia, PA 19144, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Frances Walters

Frances M. Walters, 82, of Lafayette Hill, formerly of Blue Bell, died July 5 at Chestnut Hill Hospital.

Mrs. Walters was born in Philadelphia, the daughter of the late George and Frances (Barber) Denning. Her husband Robert W. Walters Sr. preceded her in death.

She is survived by a daughter, Susan Cinalli (Robert) of Wyndmoor; three sons: Robert W. Walters Jr. (Joan) of Wyndmoor, William H. Walters (Brenda) of Wilmington, Del., and Christopher F. Walters (Linda) of Wyndmoor; a  brother, George Denning of Havertown; 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her sister Barbara Bogsch preceded her in death.

A funeral Mass was celebrated July 10 at Our Mother of Consolation Church. Interment was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to NAMI — National Alliance on Mental Illness of Pa., 100 S. Keswick Ave., Glenside, PA 19038.