Astrid Diana Krantz, 81, of Sun City Center, FL, passed away on May 19, 2013. Astrid was born on February 16, 1932 in New York, NY. She was the daughter of Elizabeth C. Palmgren and Albert W. Palmgren. In 1949 she graduated from John Adams High School in South Ozone Park, Queens, NY.
After meeting the love of her life on a blind date, Astrid married the late Otto August Krantz on January 5, 1952 in Hoboken, NJ. They settled down in Queens, NY with her parents after Otto's honorable discharge from the US Air Force. After the birth of their son, Steven, in 1954, they moved to their first house in Bay Shore, NY in 1956. The birth of their daughter, Karen, soon followed in 1957. The family relocated to Rockaway Township, NJ in 1966. To pursue a warmer climate and a more relaxed lifestyle the family made the move to Florida and settled in Seminole in 1973, almost qualifying Astrid as a native Floridian for living in the Sunshine State for 40 years. Her beloved husband, Otto, passed away in 1988. Upon her retirement from First Union after more than 25 years, Astrid moved to Sun City Center in 1999.
While no longer working at the bank, Astrid was far from retired as she made many wonderful friends and was actively involved at Redeemer Lutheran Church and in many Sun City Center groups. She loved her friends at WELCA, Kings Point Krafters, Redeemer Needlers and the Sun City Center Kazoo Band. Her church friends and neighbors were a large part of her life. She considered them part of her family. Astrid loved the "Needlers," knitting, plastic needlepoint, stuffing the monthly envelopes and counting the weekly offering at church, mysteries, especially reading mystery novels by Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner or watching the TV show "Murder She Wrote" and the Peanuts comic strip, especially the Snoopy and Woodstock characters.
Most of all Astrid loved her family, who will dearly miss her. Her family will miss her love of family, sense of humor, sound advice, pragmatism, strength, fairness, caring and passion for life. They will also miss her regular phone calls, letters and wonderful visits.
Astrid is survived by her two children: Steven Krantz of Chapel Hill, NC and Karen Cardo of Riverview, FL; her daughter-in-law Julia Krantz; her son-in-law Daniel Cardo; her four grandchildren: Jessica of Alexandria, VA and Matthew, Katherine and Michael Krantz of Chapel Hill, NC; and her brother Albert Palmgren and his partner Theresa Nugent of Deer Park, NY.
A memorial service will be held at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 701 Valley Forge Boulevard, Sun City Center, FL 33573 on Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Redeemer Lutheran Church or Sun City Center Emergency Squad, 720 Ray Watson Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573.