John Crean may not be around to host any more charitable parties at his home, but his legacy of generosity will remain throughout Newport-Mesa and Orange County in the form of the buildings and communities named in his honor.
Despite those very public tributes, his loved ones described him as a humble, "real" person, who gave for the love of the cause.
What many people remember about Crean was the welcome mat he put out for the community, charitable organizations, neighbors and friends.
"Their home basically was a representation of their philosophy to always reach out and bring people in and be a catalyst for supporting community organizations," former Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Chief Executive Michael Stephens said. "Every time I went there I was struck by what that represented and how much that spoke to who they were and what they hoped to achieve."
Some of his many donations, which represent millions of dollars doled out to community organizations, may have made the news more recently, but his giving began more than a half a century ago.
In 1954, he began giving 10% of his then-new company's earnings to an Anaheim Lutheran church.
And that was the beginning of something big. From there, he and his wife Donna Crean gave all over the county, including the donation of his 93-acre ranch to Crystal Cathedral in 1981.
Crean didn't know Pastor Robert H. Schuller when Schuller requested a donation for what would become the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, said Michael Nason, a spokesman for Schuller.
But Crean agreed to give $1 million to the effort, the first major donation. As Schuller tried to raise more money, construction costs mounted, and he worried he wouldn't have enough.
In a moment Nason said he'll always remember, Schuller told Crean he'd have to give back the donation because he couldn't afford the building, but Crean wouldn't have it. "He turned and said, 'Schuller, dig a hole. The money will come.' "
Crean made a major contribution to Schuller's ministry although the Crystal Cathedral wasn't his home church, Nason said. He also gave money for a bell tower, known as the Crean tower, next to the cathedral.
Aside from his contributions to religious organizations, Crean had a passion for programs aimed at children.
He made it possible for the building and growth of organizations like the YMCA Community Services Branch and the Donna and John Crean Mariners Branch Library.
