Henry Markley Crosswell III

1942 - 2024

Henry Markley Crosswell III
09/06/1942 - 06/02/2024
Henry Markley Crosswell III ("Markley") died in Houston, Texas on Sunday, June 2, 2024 surrounded by his loving children, grandchildren, and extended family. Born in Houston on September 6, 1942 to Elisabeth Holcombe Crosswell and Henry Markley Crosswell Jr., Markley attended The Kinkaid School, Culver Military Academy, and graduated from Lamar High School. He later attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas and joined the Marine Reserves. After his time in the Marines, Markley married his high school sweetheart, Joan Jacomini ("Joanie"). Joanie and Markley had five children together, Katherine, Mark, Victor, Lissie, and Peter, lovingly called "The Varsity" by Markley. In 1983, Markley married Jewel Biedenharn ("Julie"). Julie had a young daughter, Bettina, and Julie and Markley had two more children together, Will and Jewel. Markley called Bettina, Will, and Jewel "The Junior Varsity".
The grandson of Houston's longest-tenured mayor, Oscar Holcombe, Markley was a proud Houstonian who inherited his grandfather's charisma and generosity of spirit. Markley was truly the "mayor" everywhere he went even if he wasn't formally recognized as such. His inherent ability to connect with people, no matter how similar or different their points of view, made him a successful real estate broker for over 40 years, annually recognized as one of Houston's top residential realtors and earning the award "Residential Realtor of the Year" by the Houston Association of Realtors. Markley founded Markley Crosswell Realtors two decades before merging with John Daughterty Realtors in 1990, where he worked for over 25 years and was the ninth member inducted into the firm's Hall of Fame.
Markley's belief in our common humanity inspired him to share with those around him, whether it was the minister in Harbour Island who needed a new taxi, a fellow member of AA who needed a bus ticket, or organizations like Meals on Wheels that needed drivers to deliver meals. Markley's favorite pastime in his later years was volunteering at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he entertained patients with his inimitable wit and inappropriate jokes, even dressing up as Santa Claus to bring Christmas cheer. Needless to say, he was a hit among the patients, earning MD Anderson Cancer Center's Volunteer of the Year award. Markley also served as a Trustee of Austin College and First Presbyterian School. He was a member of the Development Board of Texas Children's Hospital. Markley was also a long-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous. He benefited greatly from the AA community in Houston and the spiritual path it provided him. Although he struggled to maintain long-term recovery, he demonstrated incredible resilience and humility by dusting himself off and continuing to try.
Markley was a father to eight children, and he was committed to all of them. Whether it was coaching teams, watching games, giving advice, listening to secrets, telling ghost stories, scratching backs, serving snickers for breakfast on camping trips, filling deer blinds full of candy, buying scratch tickets and Ragin Cajun dinners, bailing us out of jail, doing our science projects, or generally being the good cop, Markley was a legend of a Dad. He had perhaps the greatest BS of all time, and all eight of his kids are counting on inheriting that.
A father is one of our first two teachers, and Markley taught his children unconditional love, patience, generosity, kindness, humility, and respect. He was humble and openhearted. He was the person his kids could trust with their secrets, the person they called when they were in trouble, and the person they knew would always show up. Henry Adams said, "A teacher attains a kind of immortality because one never knows when his influence ends." It's safe to say that Markley's influence will be felt forever.
While we are heartbroken that Markley is no longer physically with us, we find hope in God's promises that he is in His Presence forevermore and reunited with Julie. While Markley struggled with addiction in this life, he trusted in God's abiding love for him, a love that he is now experiencing fully. "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19).
Markley was preceded in death by his parents, Elisabeth Holcombe Crosswell and Henry Markley Crosswell Jr., and his beloved wife, Julie Crosswell. He is survived and immensely loved by his daughter Katherine; his son Mark and wife Liz; his son Victor and wife Flora; his daughter Lissie and husband Wayne; his son Peter and wife Holly; his daughter Bettina and husband Brian; his son Will and wife Mackenzie; his daughter Jewel and husband Luke; his grandchildren Elisabeth, Mary Katherine, Barrett, Markley, Charlotte, Wayne, Joanie, Amelia, Jackson, Pete, Ben, Jaco, Katie, Tommy, India, Willa, and Lily; his brothers Holcombe Crosswell and wife Emily; David Crosswell and wife Carolyn; and twelve nieces and nephews.
Friends and family gathered for a visitation last Wednesday, the 5th of June, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
The family gathered for a private interment at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed toward The Council on Recovery, Planning & Development, P.O. Box 2768, Houston, TX 77252; Meals on Wheels, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, Attn: Development Department, 3303 Main St., Houston, TX 77002.