GEORGE F. CRAWFORD

George F. Crawford, 86, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on September 17, 2011. A Memorial Service will be held at the Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas, on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, starting at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to the American Diabetes Association or the American Cancer Society. Mr. Crawford was born in 1925, to George A. Crawford and Anna Maree Crawford (Woodward), George had an older sister Marjorie, who passed away in 1973. George was born and raised in the Brookside area of Kansas City, attended Border Star Elementary School and Southwest High School, Class of 1943. Mr. Crawford attended the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Finance and Economics, graduating in 1948 with a B.S. in Economics. George served as an officer and pilot in the United States Navy during World War II from 1943 until his honorable discharge in 1946. During his service in the U.S. Navy, George studied at Columbia University, New York, New York from 1945 to 1946. Mr. Crawford attended the Harvard University School of Law, served on the Harvard Law Review Board of Editors and graduated cum laude in 1951. George returned to Kansas City, accepting an associates position in 1951 with the law firm, Morrison, Hecker, Buck, Cozad and Rogers. The law firm known for decades as Morrison and Hecker, is currently known as Stinson Morrison Hecker. George practiced law with, "The Firm", for over 50 years, representing his clients into his eighties. George specialized in the areas of Tax, General Business and Real Estate Law. He was recognized throughout his career as a leader in his profession, not only in the Kansas City area but throughout the country. His professional accomplishments include: Life Member of the American Law Institute and the American College of Tax Lawyers, American Bar Association, Tax Section and Chairman of the Committee on Sales, Exchanges and Basis (1978- 80), Heart of America Tax Institute, past chairman, Lawyers Association of Kansas City, member and past president and Who's Who in America. For twenty years, George authored a chapter on nontaxable corporate acquisitions for the Missouri Bar Business Practice Series. Mr. Crawford also was an Instructor of Accounting at Rockhurst College from 1952 through 1964. George loved working at the Firm and was very proud of the role he played in helping grow the practice. He enjoyed pointing out that his tenure at the Firm was second only to its founder E.R. Morrison. His partners and clients respected him not only for his formidable legal abilities, but even more so for his honesty, integrity and loyalty. Mr. Crawford attended the Village Presbyterian Church and was a member of Mission Hills Country Club. George served on the Southwest Foundation in various capacities for many years. George was an Eagle Scout and served as a Scout Master in his youth. George's greatest love was for his family. His beloved wife of 51 years, Elizabeth Jane Crawford and his three sons and their families. George Crawford of Olathe, Kansas, Todd and Deana Crawford, their children, Jordan and Nick, of Houston, Texas, and Tom and Dionne Crawford, their children Sydney and Addison of Prairie Village, Kansas, all of whom survive him. Never have a man and a woman been more happy and content in their marriage than has George and Jane. Theirs was a genuine partnership and their love sustained each other throughout. The depth of pride and devotion George had for his sons was boundless. He was both a Father and a Dad, a mentor and a cheerleader and he always had his boys' backs covered. He considered Deana and Dionne to be his own daughters and dropped the "in-law" long ago. As for his grandchildren, George was a very proud grandfather and his three granddaughters and one grandson were the light in his eyes to the very last. George lived a long, rich and full life. He was proud to have lived his entire life in the Kansas City area and to have been involved in so many community projects and causes. He loved and enjoyed his friends, particularly the men and women of the, "Quill Group," many of whom were born and raised in the same neighborhood as George and went to his treasured Southwest High with him. George leaves behind a legacy of great accomplishment and achievement but most importantly, he was our leader; he was our "Farney." (Arrangements: Cremation Society of Kansas & Missouri, 8837 Roe, Prairie Village, KS 66207; 913-383-9888)