William Clayton "Bill" Crews III

FUNERAL HOME

Forbis & Dick Funeral Service - Guilford Chapel

5926 West Friendly Avenue

Greensboro, North Carolina

William Crews Obituary

Name: Visitation for William Clayton "Bill" Crews III
Start: 2022-08-31T22:00:00.000Z
End: 2022-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Forbis & Dick Funeral Service - Guilford Chapel

Crews III, William "Bill" Clayton

November 16, 1954 - August 21, 2022

GREENSBORO â€" William "Bill" Clayton Crews III passed away peacefully at Atrium Health â€" Wake Forest Baptist Hospital on Sunday, August 21, 2022. The family will receive friends on August 31, 2022, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Forbis and Dick Guilford Chapel, 5926 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27410. The funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at Forbis and Dick Guilford Chapel. Burial will be private.

Bill was born in Mayodan, NC, on November 16, 1954, to the late William Clayton Crews, Jr. and Mavis Friddle Crews. He attended school at Colfax Elementary and Northwest Guilford High School, where he was a school bus driver for two years. During his youth, Bill became involved in Boy Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle scout, an accomplishment he was proud of. As a young man, Bill found a passion for truck driving, and at the age of 16 he started a trucking business, Crews Transport, Inc., in Greensboro. Over the next 50 years, he grew this business to become one of the largest trucking companies in North Carolina. Crews Transport hauled for clients all across the state and throughout the southeast and mid Atlantic states as well. Bill loved serving his community and strove to be the trucker everyone could rely on. His warmth, southern charm, stories, and love will be dearly missed.

In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his son, William Travis Crews.

Those left to cherish his memory are his loving and treasured wife, Marilyn Louise Crews; his children, Thomas L. Crews of McLeansville, NC, J. Brandon Crews (Alisa Hunt) of Gibsonville, NC, William C. Crews IV (Ariana) of Coeur D'Alene, ID, and Carrie Crews Keller (Davin) of Danville, VA; his stepchildren, Melanie L. Dudik (Chuck) of Yuma, AZ, and Christopher M. Ange (Katie) of Clover, SC; his grandchildren, Caden, Landon, Austin, Ryan, Lillyana, Gracelynn, Matthew, David, Stella, Ruby, and Michael; sisters, Linda Massey of Webster, FL, Karen Bueling of Port Hueneme, CA; brother, Clarke Crews (Dorothy) of Kernersville, NC; and his maternal aunt, Jean Isley. Bill is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation to the National Kidney Foundation, 7413 Six Forks Road, #255, Raleigh, North Carolina 27615.

Online condolences may be directed to www.forbisanddick.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Greensboro News & Record on Aug. 31, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for William Crews

Sponsored by Forbis & Dick Funeral Service - Guilford Chapel.

11 Entries

Rick Swartz

October 19, 2022

I met Billy through DH Griffin Sr. about 18 years ago. Billy was always a pleasure to talk to and always had a funny story or two to share when we visited. I'll miss those times. RIP my friend.

Pat beck

September 6, 2022

Marilyn I was out of town and found out about Bill´s passing. So very hard to believe,he was so full of life. He was a very thoughtful person he was always there if you needed him during my husbands bout with cancer he made so many phone calls to see if we needed anything. I am so glad he had you and I know he loved you dearly. The best thing you can say about someone is he was my friend and he was!

September 2, 2022

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Alissa

August 31, 2022

My late husband Brandon, and Bill were good friends. I had heard many stories about Bill Crews. Bill was full of life and had never met a stranger. He was so funny and once you met him you knew you had never met anyone like Bill Crews. He was one of a kind! I didn't meet him until he came to the hospital to visit Brandon. I'll never forget walking into the hospital room and seeing a man and woman I didn't recognize. He held out his hand and said, hello I'm Bill Crews. He then introduced his sweet wife, Marilyn. I couldn't believe that the man I had heard so much about was now sitting in the hospital room. Unfortunately, Brandon passed away. Brandon had worked so hard to build a trucking business and I wanted to keep his business running. Bill was so supportive of my efforts to keep the business going. Anytime I needed something I could call to ask him a question or just talk. Every day he checked on me and my children to make sure we were ok. Bill would always say Sleepy (Brandon) was my buddy and I'm going to be here for y'all. Bill had a nickname for everybody and Sleepy was Brandon's nickname because he fell asleep working underneath a dump truck. Bill Crews was a friend to me at a time when I most needed a friend. He gave me advice about trucking and life. Most of all he encouraged me to have the confidence I needed to run a trucking company! I will forever be thankful for his encouragement and support. My deepest sympathy and continued prayers for Marilynn and Bill's family.

TIM ELLINGTON

August 31, 2022

Bill was not only my landlord but was a close friend of mine also. i sold truck parts to bill for several years . he loved his mack trucks if anyone needed anything for a mack they knew where to go .bill would probably have what they needed . i will miss him very much but i know hes in alot better place right now . rest in peace my friend and you will never be forgotten ,

Luke Taylor

August 30, 2022

I remember when I first started driving local I worked for Bill for a while his call sign on the radio was Eleven he was such a good person

Charles Crutchfield

August 30, 2022

My condolences to the family.

Rick Davis

August 30, 2022

One of the nicest, funniest and most dependable people you could know and do business with. He was fun. He would always find a way to help me. Every time I saw one of his trucks after i got out of the business, I would think of him. His smile and his laughter lives on. To the family, I am so sorry for your loss. Rick Davis

Betty Dunham, Raleigh, NC

August 27, 2022

I met Bill more than 20 years ago when I lived in Fayetteville, and we´ve been good friends ever since. We went to the beach right after we met where I met Jim and "Bride." That set the fun factor on "High" for the rest of the trip. Later we went to a show at the Alabama Theater. Two women in front of us wanted to go get popcorn and drinks but didn´t want to carry their big purses. So Bill leaned up, introduced himself, and said their purses would be all right. He was out on work release as a model inmate and would keep his eye in their seats. From then on we never stopped laughing.
I knew something was really wrong when a few weeks went by and he hadn´t called. I called the office, nobody answered or returned my message, and his phone mailbox was full. That never happened, so I started looking online and found the notice of his passing. Oh, my goodness! I couldn´t believe it. I knew he had health issues, but he was just such an Energizer Bunny!
I will miss him more than I can say. He was kind, loyal, generous of heart and spirit, and so funny! I never knew his family, but he talked about them with such love and affection I almost felt like I did. I know they will miss him greatly, as will everybody who knew him--and I don´t think he ever met a stranger. All of you have my deepest sympathy. He was one of the really good ones!

Jerry Greene

August 26, 2022

I have so many great memories with Bill growing up.
A great friend who will truly be missed by all today.
Heaven just gained someone very special.
Praying for the family during this difficult time.

Sheila Barbour

August 26, 2022

Marilyn, I am so sorry. Sending my deepest sympathies and prayers. If you need anything, please call me.

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