CALVIN CRAWFOR

CALVIN COOLIDGE CRAWFORD REIDSVILLE Mr. Calvin Coolidge Crawford went to be with the Lord and join his parents, wife, Gladys, and siblings on Wednesday, November 18, 2015. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 pm, November 22, 2015 at Zion Baptist Church with Rev. Michael A. Long officiating. The family visitation will be prior to the service in the Multipurpose Center of the Church from 1:30 to 2:15. Burial will follow at the Greenview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made in his memory to the scholarship fund of any of the following: Morehouse College, 830 Westview Drive S.W., Atlanta, GA 30314, Zion Baptist Church, PO 2448, Reidsville, NC 27323, Booker T. Washington Heritage Association, PO 1624, Reidsville, NC 27323, or LEAF Center, 211 N. Oakland Avenue, Eden, NC 27288. Calvin, the youngest of ten was born in Griffin, Georgia on November 10, 1924 to the late John Henry and Lula Mann Crawford,. He received his early education in the Reidsville public school system, graduating from Booker T. Washington High School. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy in the Aleutian Islands and was honorably discharged after two and one-half years. Calvin married the love of his life, Gladys Motley on December 21, 1947. They were married sixty-four years until her death in 2012. Calvin pursued higher education at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies. He also studied at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Later he earned a Master of Arts degree in Guidance and Counseling from North Carolina A & T State University. His career in education began in Wrens, Georgia (outside of Augusta) where he taught at Wrens High School. Some years later he began his thirty years' tenure with the Reidsville City School System. During those thirty plus years in education he taught social studies, served as guidance counselor, and was the Industrial Cooperative Training Coordinator, where he prepared students for life, both while a student and later in the work force. He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, which enabled him to acquire employment opportunities for his students. He found great joy in sharing his knowledge and experiences with his students and derived great satisfaction from seeing and communicating with former students. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior early in life and joined Zion Baptist Church where he formerly served as Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of the Sunday School, Sunday School teacher for class Fellowship, and chairman of the Eastside Men's Missionary group. He served on several City Boards including the Reidsville Planning Board where he served as chairman, YMCA Board, Reidsville Salvation Army, and the Reidsville ABC Board. He was a former Worshipful Master Order of the Masons Lone Star Lodge No. 33, a member of the James Rudd Post of the VFW, and a lifetime member of the Booker T. Washington Heritage Association. Calvin was chairman of the Booker T. Washington High School Historical Marker committee, instrumental in the erection of the historical marker near the site of the original school. He was one of the first recipient's of the Community Service Award by Zion Baptist Church in 2003 for dedicated service to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Reidsville and the surrounding community. Calvin enjoyed visiting people and obtained great pleasure in sharing the vegetables, fruit, and nuts from his garden with those friends and acquaintances in the community. In addition to his parents, and wife of sixty-four years, Gladys M. Crawford, he was preceded in death by all of his siblings: Ophelia Crawford, Roscoe Crawford, Eppie Crawford, Helen C. Simmons, Christine C. Morgan, James H. Crawford, Dr. John O. Crawford, Gladys C. Mimms, and Annie C. Tate. He leaves to cherish his memories: daughters, Portia C. Burston(James), Faye Crawford, both of Reidsville, NC and Tonya C. Smith(Darryl) of Sterling Heights, MI; grandchildren, Andrea Burston, Jennifer B. Sheffield, Bryson Smith, and Brandon Smith; great grandchild, Lauren Sheffield; sisters-in-law Marie Motley of Reidsville, NC and Mary Jane Crawford of Philadelphia, PA, brother-in-law James Edward Motley(Rose) of Tularosa, NM; special nieces, Lula C. Bass (Harold) and Thelma C. Bell (Samuel); longtime neighbors and friends, Ernestine and John Henderson, Freedia Jones and Margaret Wells, "special sons" Gregory Cobb (Tynesha) and George Gunn(Wanda); a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, friends, and former students. McLaurin Funeral Home is serving the family. Condolences may be sent to www.mclaurinfh.com