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Doris Crandall, a name synonymous with fine dining, passed Oct. 30, at her Anaheim home, where she resided for over 40 years, in Anaheim .
Ms. Crandall was born Jan. 29, 1923 in Turlock , California and was raised in the Los Angeles area. Â She began her writing career as Doris Wallace on the staff of The Pathfinder, her John C. Fremont High School Newspaper.
For years, she was the Food Editor for both the Anaheim Bulletin and the Orange County Register, later joining the staff of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.
She became an acclaimed Restaurant Writer and Critic in 1959 and was featured regularly on numerous radio and television shows including Elmer Dills, Hilly Rose Show and the Paul Wallach Show.
Her reviews appeared not only in the newspapers mentioned but in Business Line, SoCal Sunwest News and OC-The Place. She published her own newspaper, "On the Go," which was devoted to restaurant reviews, clubs, lounge acts and entertainment. Â One of the first to create a cable food show which was broadcast live weekly, she was also featured on KIEV and KWRM radio and her weekly radio show that ran for nearly four years was syndicated by ABC.
After two years of almost daily research, she completed writing "Doris Crandall's Dining Guide, The Best Restaurants In Southern California" which became an instant best seller in 1998. Â She was working on a second addition earlier this year.
In March 2008 she was honored by The Southern California Restaurant Writers, an organization she founded 35 years earlier, with a dinner attended by over 400 restaurateurs from the Southern California area. Â It was her final public appearance.
The organization named their scholarship program The Doris Crandall Scholarship Fund in her honor and has to date awarded in excess of $125,000 to further student education in the culinary arts. Â Local colleges that have received scholarships include Orange Coast College , Glendale College , Golden West College , San Bernardino Valley College and Riverside Community College .
At Ms. Crandall's request no formal service was held and A Celebration Of The Life was held Nov. 7 at the Anaheim White House. Numerous friends, business associates and restaurateurs attended.
Doris was preceded in death by husbands Richard Sylvis and Art Crandall and daughter Valerie Suzanne Sylvis.
In lieu of flowers, donations to The Doris Crandall Scholarship Fund are suggested. Â The fund is administered by The Southern California Restaurant Writers, a 501c organization, at P.O. Box 17114 , Anaheim Hills, 92817.
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