Louis E. Crown

Crown, Louis E.
June 19, 1919 - June 5, 2011

Louis E. Crown (Lou) passed away on June 5, 2011 at home at Jacaranda Trace, Venice, Fla.
Lou was born June 19, 1919 in Philadelphia, Pa. His parents and grandparents had immigrated from Russia around the turn of the century. Lou attended public school and the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, majoring in Social Statistics.
After a short enlistment in the U.S. Naval Reserve (1940) he returned to civilian life, married his schoolgirl sweetheart, Gloria Gilbert, and went to work in his father's laundry business (Crown Coat & Apron Co.) That only lasted one year. He was drafted into the Army Quartermaster Corps., where he was a non-commissioned instructor in basic training and mobile laundry operations. After earning a commission in 1944, he was appointed commanding officer of the largest army laundry in the world, formerly a civilian plant staffed by 600 civil service workers and 30 Italian prisoners of war. Lt. Crown was awarded a Distinguished Service award for achievement in the effort.
After the war, with his brother Victor, he founded a uniform rental company, in Philadelphia, Arrow Uniform Service. After 15 years of exceptional growth, he sold his share of the business to devote his time to community service. He secured a Master's Degree in Social Service from Bryn Mawr College and worked 2 years as Administrative Director and Associate Director for Planning at the five county Philadelphia Health and Welfare Council. He left the Council to co-found an innovative funding organization to support groups working for social change, The Peoples Fund, later renamed Bread and Roses Community Fund.
In 1972 he and his wife moved to Palo Alto, Calif. He was active in politics. He was co-founder and Finance Director of an innovative health-care cooperative, Midpeninsula Health Care, demonstrating that Health Care could be provided with better performance at lower cost than existing systems.
In 1979, he and his wife returned to Philadelphia where he was employed by American Cyanamid Co., Lederle Laboratories. In ten years he participated in consolidating distribution operations from 13 to 5 distribution centers, coordinating the construction of a new center in Pennsylvania.
In 1990, he and his wife retired to Sarasota, Fla. where he remained active in community service - in the court system, as Guardian Ad Litem, Guardianship Monitor, and as a Mediator; in Habitat for Humanity; as an AARP Tax Aide; and as a condominium officer. In 2000, he and his wife moved to a new retirement complex in Venice, Fla. Woodmere at Jacaranda. When the developer of that project went bankrupt, he was co-founder and Co-Manager with Dr. Bruce Renda of Jacaranda Associates, LLC, a resident/owner organization created to raise funds cooperatively with Woodmere Associates to restart construction and avoid foreclosure.
He cared for his ailing wife of 62 years until she passed in Dec., 2003. In Jan. 2005, he married Merieta Malle and they happily continued to reside at Jacaranda Trace. He also continued his court service as Mediator.
He is survived by his wife, Merieta; a brother, Victor; two sons, Kenneth and Warren, their wives and three grandchildren, Daniel, Adam and Juno, and three step-children Steven and Brian Bergey and Kathey Walker.
In lieu of flowers send donations to: Bread and Roses Community Fund 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1305 Philadelphia, PA 19102-3514
A memorial service celebrating the life of Lou Crown will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday June 18, 2011 at Jacaranda Trace 3600 William Penn Way Venice, FL 408-2000