Mary Katherine "Kitty" Crews

CREWS, Mary Katherine "Kitty," died Wednesday, August 27, 2008, at home in Richmond. Kitty was born on September 24, 1944 in Baltimore, Md., grew up in Freeport, Long Island, N.Y., attended American University, and moved to Richmond in the late 1970s to teach 6th grade in Henrico County. She and her surviving husband, L. Jeremy Crews, were married on August 12, 1978 at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Richmond, where he was christened and where his parents were married. Kitty is survived by two stepdaughters, Courtney Crews Feeman of Charles City, Claibourne Crews Jackson of Glen Allen, and Claibourne's two sons, Gray Miller and Watson Miller of Richmond. As the eldest of nine children, Kitty is survived by all, including her mother, Mary Katherine Kauffman Pugh of Lancaster, Pa., and Richmond, Robert Pugh of Richmond, Tom Pugh of Atlanta, Jim Pugh of Naples, Fla., Dr. Franklin Pugh of State College, Pa., Constance Pugh Torborg of New York, Peggi Pugh Gottlieb of New York, Penelope Pugh of Phoenix, Ariz., and Caroline Pugh Kelty of Jacksonville, Fla. Kitty is also survived by 14 nieces and nephews. After her marriage to Jeremy, Kitty retired from teaching to manage their home in east Hanover where she was able to establish her first extensive flower garden, thus becoming a dedicated gardener, which remained her lifelong focus. In 2000, Kitty and Jeremy moved to Wyndham, in Richmond, where she established a masterful garden on the edge of the Wyndham golf course, right at the second tee of the 16th hole, where passing golfers and joggers consistently stopped to compliment her as she personally attended the garden. Those compliments brought great pride, joy and satisfaction to her life. Kitty's other talents, which also brought great joy to her, and to others, included knitting sweaters, with over 500 created, most of which were gifted, as well as several interesting crafts. At the Crews' place, south of Naples, Fla., during the three winter months when the Wyndham garden was in hibernation, and where there was no turf for a garden, Jeremy would dutifully take Kitty to the sandbars of the Gulf of Mexico to collect shells which Kitty would use to decorate mirrors, tables, lamps and driftwood, making original creations, with most being passed on to friends. Kitty's generosity has touched many people who will smile for her when they cook from her recipes, see themselves in her shell mirrors, keep warm or just look nice in her hand-knitted sweaters, see flowers from her garden blooming in theirs, or just take inspiration from the courage she always showed during her long effort to stay ahead of the cancer which took her life. Kitty also had a lifelong love for cats, which is shared by her husband, and together have an association with CARE, Cat Adoption and Rescue Effort, here in Richmond. In lieu of flowers, Kitty has requested a donation to CARE, where a happy cat will make her smile. Send to C.A.R.E., P.O. Box 2934, Richmond, Va. 23228, www.care-cats.org. A private service for the family will be held at Epiphany Catholic Church in Richmond on Saturday, and an informal gathering for family and friends will be held at Kitty's garden in Wyndham, 12208 Malham Way, Richmond, from noon until, on Monday, September 1.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.