Many people called Ben Crabtree the dean of banking analysts. During introductions, Craig Mueller, senior vice president at Minneapolis-based Oak Ridge Financial Services where Crabtree last worked, called him "the godfather of bank analysts."
The modest Crabtree didn't like hearing such accolades, once telling Mueller: "You've got to stop doing that."
Crabtree had a deep knowledge of banking, and was willing to share his insights. He is quoted in more than 370 Star Tribune articles and informed countless people through his writings or consultations.
Crabtree, 72, died at his Edina home on Sept. 28, after a long bout with cancer. He was born in Ellendale, N.D., where his family owned the local community bank. From those family roots, Crabtree found his calling.
A graduate of Ellendale High School, Crabtree attended Harvard University for two years, then transferred to the University of North Dakota.
After graduating in 1965, he married Susan Larson of Rugby, N.D., and they moved to Edina, where they raised three sons.
Crabtree started his career in the money management business of what was then First Bank System. He later joined the Minneapolis-based regional brokerage firm Dain Bosworth, which later became RBC Capital Markets, as a research analyst for more than 20 years. After Dain/RBC, he worked at George K. Baum Co., Advantus Capital Management, Piper Jaffray and Stifel Nicolaus.
When Crabtree retired from Stifel, Mueller persuaded him to join Oak Ridge Financial to work more closely with his roots in community banking. Crabtree worked part time for the past several years and wrote the monthly Community Banking Monitor.