In Memoriam: Ray Gene Anthony, 1938-2025

Long-time crane industry legend Ray Gene Anthony, who was often called “The Crane Man,” died at his home in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, USA on May 13, 2025. He was 85.

Ray Gene Anthony, 1938-2025

Anthony was born in 1938 in Uniontown, PA and grew up in Republic, PA, attending Redstone High school and serving his country in the U.S. Navy.

He started his business career with the founding of Anthony Crane, which was one of the largest crane companies in the country. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions and private equity deals in 1998, Anthony Crane became a platform acquisition of Bane Capital. Over the next few years several crane companies were rolled into Anthony Crane Rental which was rebranded in 2000 as Maxim Crane Works. Today, Maxim Crane Works is the largest crane company in North America as ranked by the ACT 100.

Through the years, Anthony started several other companies, including a motorcycle shop, a boat marina, a gun store and an auto toy store. In the early 2000s, missing the crane industry, he started a new crane company, Ray Anthony International, that he operated for several years in the Eastern U.S. Anthony was known for his adventurist spirit and his love for riding motorcycles, hunting, flying his airplanes and he loved to talk about cranes.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Mariam (Solomon) Anthony; his sister, Natalie (Anthony) Petrie; his brother, David Solomon; his first wife, Joan (Ferchak) Anthony; and his beloved son, Samuel Ray Anthony.

He is survived by his wife Delores “Jo” Anthony; daughters Natalie Anthony (Brent) and Lori Catalucci (Tonino); stepdaughter Charla Garmany (Allen); stepson Spencer Todd Christopher (Dreama); and his sister, Sandi Anthony and family.

Ray was proud grandfather to Ryan Anthony, Adrienne McGee (Rob), Lindsay Bain (JB), Alex Christopher, Spencer Shane Christopher, Hannah Garmany, and Seth Garmany. He also was great grandfather to Gavin and Laila Bain. 

Interment will be held privately in LaFayette Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ray’s memory may be made to Fayette Friends of Animals.

The evolution of Maxim Crane Works Maxim represents an amalgamation of many legendary crane companies.