Gary David Crawford

Several Students in Kettering Fairmont High Schools have written to us with fond memories of the excellent teaching of Mr. Crawford. He is being remembered in our Class of 1965 fall news letter. As a conection, I am a co chair of the class reunion of 1965, My father Chester A. Roush had hired Mr. Crawford to teach in Kettering before all the other numerous fine accomplishments in his life. JR

When I was a junior at Fairmont West High School in Kettering, Ohio, I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Crawford as my English teacher. He was fresh out of Ohio University and teaching for the very first time. I'm 73 now but I can actually still remember the very first day in his class...he knocked our socks off with his vitality and fresh ideas. I can still recall many of the things he said during that year especially concerning racism, class distinction, the importance of precise...

Gary was a wonderful guy.. always interested in hearing details of life on Tilghman. His style of writing was friendly and neighborly. Even when reading about weight loss; it was as if he was sitting in your living room. His history lessons are keepsakes. I know, because I have kept about 50 of his articles to share with my grandchildren.

I had the privilege of working with Gary in two Peace Corps training programs in Palau, Micronesia. Gary was possibly the finest language coordinator and teacher that I have known and worked with. Far more importantly, he was an individual with extraordinary ability to understand and respect diverse cultures and to inspire that respect in others. He led by virtue of the respect he commanded by the way he lived his life. He was far too young to leave this world and I know there will be a...

Sorry to hear this news. Gary ran our Peace Corps training programs in Palau in the 70s and I worked closely with him, always impressed with his multiple talents: educator, guitarist, magician, cartoonist.

Bud and I are so sorry to hear about Gary. He had so much knowledge about Tilghman and it's history and such a way with words. He will be so missed. I am truly sorry that we didn't get to play more card games with you.

Gary was a great storyteller. His love for the people of Tilghman Island and their history was reflected in his writing. He rescued stories from the past and made them come alive for another generation.