Nancy M. Crewe Ph.D.

Nancy M. Crewe, Ph. D. East Lansing Nancy Crewe died Thursday, April 7, 2011; she was 71 years of age. Throughout her long and distinguished career, Nancy cared deeply about people with disabilities and the physical and psychological aspects that affected their lives. Through her scholarship, Nancy made landmark contributions to understanding the disability experience and enhancing the quality of rehabilitation services to individuals with significant disabilities. Her work in functional assessment helped re-orient the focus of assessment from a deficit-oriented, medical model, to a capacity orientated functional model-foreshadowing and contributing to major shifts in public policy by nearly two decades. Similarly, her recognition of the importance of the independent living movement resulted in co-authoring the preeminent book on this subject that captured and advanced a fundamental policy and paradigm shift, and brought her international recognition by consumers, advocates and professionals. Her 20-year longitudinal study of a cohort of persons with spinal cord injury chartered new territory in the understanding of long-term adjustment, health and aging of people with disabilities. Her most recent scholarly contribution, as co-author with Carolyn Vash in the second edition of the Psychology of Disability, is an invaluable resource and text in rehabilitation education and disability studies in the United States and throughout the world. Although Nancy officially retired in 2004 after 17 years of service at Michigan State University and additional 16 years of service at the University of Minnesota, she continued to contribute to the rehabilitation counseling profession as a consultant, author, teacher and mentor. Nancy was the embodiment of leadership with grace. Her balance of gentleness and strength inspired a commitment to individual excellence and a feeling of community for students and colleagues alike. She will be greatly missed. She is survived by her daughter, Laurel (Bill) Cibik; grandchildren, Ruby and Elise; sister, Jan (Don) Johnson; brother, John (Grace) Moe; and sister-in-law and BFF, Betty Pond. A memorial service will be held Monday, April 11, 10:30 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Okemos, 2258 Bennett Road, Okemos, MI 48864. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Presbyterian Church of Okemos, in memory of Nancy Crewe. On line condolences may be made at: www.gorslineruncimaneastlansing.com