William Theron "Bill" Crowder

A 3 year resident of Torrance and most previously of Palm Springs, CA, passed away on Thursday, December 2, 2010 in Torrance. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Bill was 77 when he died. He served in the US. Air Force from 1951-1962. He joined the City of Vallejo Fire Department in 1962 and retired as Fire Captain in 1989. He was an avid reader and could always be found with a book. Louis L'Amour was his favorite author. He enjoyed traveling through the deserts of the western United States. Bill is survived by his son, Craig (Gayle) Crowder of Manhattan Beach, CA; daughter, Debra Grant of Vallejo, CA; son, Wayne Crowder of Vallejo, CA; step-daughter, Mary Jane (Randy) Martin of Napa, CA; sister, Dorothy (Eldon) Hill of Lake Elsinore, CA; 6 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lena and Lowell Crowder; son, William Crowder, Jr., and brother, John Crowder.The Memorial Service will be held at Rice Mortuary Chapel in Torrance, CA on Friday December 10, 2010 at 1:30pm. A reception in the Lighthouse Room follows until 4:30pm. Private burial will take place at Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Assn. Please sign the guest book at www.dailybreeze.com/obits. Please go to the mortuary's website, www.LAfuneral.com to send the family messages, share memories, or to obtain directions to the services. Check back to view the online video tribute.