There was one fatality in Wednesday's tornado.
Crandy, a native of Las Vegas, died Wednesday when debris from a rare Utah tornado struck him in the head while he was supervising the set-up for the Outdoor Retailers convention.
Crandy, was skipping lunch to make sure booths looked their best when the tornado hit and claimed his life. Police say Crandy was hit in the head, possibly by a metal beam used to hold up the outdoor tent. He died enroute to the hospital. Crandy, 38, was the sole fatality of yesterday's tornado
A family friend was with his wife when she got the news.
Sarah Zita/Co-worker and Friend: "FOR SOME REASON, JAN KNEW. I WAS MAD AT HER BECAUSE OF THE WAY SHE WAS BEING. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE SHE KNEW. SHE SAW THOSE TENTS, AND IMMEDIATELY SHE KNEW. "
The father of an autistic child, Crandy was president of Families for Effective Autism Treatment and fought passionately for the rights of all disabled children.
Crandy left behind a wife, stepson, and two young daughters. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.
An autopsy is scheduled for Friday where Crandy's body will be returned to Las Vegas where Palm Mortuary will handle the arrangements.
According to the Las Vegas Sun, Crandy and his wife Jan, were key figures in support of Assembly Bill 280, which made it illegal for institutions to control disabled children, including those suffering from autism, by physical means such as spraying them in the face with water or forcing them to do sit-ups.
After reading medical studies that found that constant therapy could reach a child, the Crandy's formed an organization that advocated intensive and expensive therapy, including flash-cards, matching cards and photos for every imaginable object and emotion.
Crandy's nonprofit organization provides nearly two dozen local and regional families access to autistic research and information, the cards for the intense therapy and support.
Crandy spent his own school career in the Clark County School District, attending Ruby Thomas Elementary School for kindergarten, Rex Bell Elementary, the old Booker Sixth Grade Center, Cashman Middle School and Clark High School, from where he graduated in 1979.
