Donald Crawford Obituary

Donald Crawford

February 20, 1923 - February 15, 2016

Donald Carlyle Crawford was born in Ferron, a Mormon village on the edge of Utah's badland country. Despite being born with impaired vision which progressed to blindness, he grew up riding horses and milking cows on his parents' cattle ranch.

He attended the Utah School for the Blind in Ogden until 8th grade, but after pulling one prank too many, he transferred back home to South Emery High School. He participated in debate, theater, and Future Farmers of America, with whom he traveled to the 1939 World's Fair in San Francisco to show livestock.

Don studied sociology at the University of Utah while working nights at a radio tube factory. He graduated in 1946 and began his career as a social worker for the blind in Twin Falls, Idaho. There he met Margaret Ellen McClain, a social work supervisor, his future wife and the love of his life. They married in 1947.

Job opportunities took the family to Boise, Idaho, where his daughter, Eileen, was born in 1950, and to Spokane, Olympia and finally Seattle. Kiska, a German Shepherd guide dog, was his companion during travels around Washington as a field supervisor. In 1961 he completed his MSW degree. He retired in 1983 as Director of Rehabilitation for the Blind for the State of Washington.

Don never allowed his lack of sight to deter him from accomplishing his goals. One of his Mormon ancestors walked from Iowa to Utah pulling a handcart, and Don showed that strength in his fearless pursuit of life. He was an avid chess player, home gardener, ham radio operator, and potter. He loved to read, especially books on Utah history. He studied FORTRAN and Spanish, and baked bread.

Margaret died in 1986, and in 1990 he moved to Salt Lake City to live with Jean Draper, a childhood friend. They researched their family histories, and Don wrote four volumes of genealogy. After her death in 2009 he returned to Seattle to be close to family. Don was healthy and lived independently until the last week of his life.

Don was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Ellen (McClain) Crawford, Seattle; his parents Zenna and Carlyle Crawford, Ferron, UT; sisters, Faye Curtis, Richfield, UT, and Evanel Nelson Rexroad, Boise, ID; brother, Paul Crawford, Ferron, UT; and companion Jean Draper, Salt Lake City, UT.

He is survived by his daughter, Eileen Crawford, and son-in-law, Alan Jones, Seattle; granddaughter, Camila Gomez Crawford, Seattle; and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

Memorial service and burial will take place in Ferron, Utah.

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Published by The Seattle Times from Feb. 25 to Feb. 28, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for Donald Crawford

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2 Entries

Heather

February 15, 2017

Dear Crawford family, I am so sorry for your loss. May you find peace and comfort during this difficult time. Romans 15:13

John Olson

March 6, 2016

My condolences to Don's family and others who knew Don Crawford.
It was my good fortune to work with Don at the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB)between 1969 and 1983 when he retired. I always appreciated Don's humor and professionalism in the field of services for people who are blind and visually impaired. He appreciated my new field of independent travel instruction and, later, low vision services. Under Don's leadership, our department ranked as one of the top state agencies for the blind in America in measures by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the U.S. Department of Education - the source of 80% of our funding. I will always remember the reading of the RSA data at our annual all staff meeting in Seattle. Don always had one of his famous big smiles during those sessions. He took special pride in results that topped big population states like those of New York, Illinois, California, Florida, Massachusetts, and other. Of particular pride was coming in ahead of Iowa - then regarded by some as the Mecca of services for blind people.

Long-term colleagues of Don's generation at DSB were Valerie Brakel, Jerome Dunham, Ike Myers, Frank Hoppes - names his family may know. Don and the good works of these folks and other laid the foundation for my generation and those that followed at DSB when I retired in 2007. DSB still leads the country in RSA measures of excellence. Thanks Don.

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