Eric Lamont Crawford

Mr. Eric LaMont Crawford was born on August 1, 1973, in Fort Rucker, Alabama. He was the second child of Samuel Crawford, Jr., and Alice M. Jeter (Felton), all from Gulfport, Mississippi. He departed this life on September 12, 2021.

Eric was a native of Gulfport, Mississippi. Eric was the son of military parents. His mother and father are military veterans. He attended and graduated from Nuremberg American High School in Nuremberg, Germany, on June 4, 1992. After high school, he returned to Gulfport,
Mississippi, and found employment at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. He attended and graduated from the 2009 Class of the Pascagoula Apprentice Program in the discipline of “COMPOSITE” and was employed there until they closed the plant. Eric then found employment
as a longshoreman at the Port of Gulfport, where he was employed until the time of his death. He was an active member of the International Longshoremen Association.  Eric loved movies and TV shows. He would be the first at the theater to see a new release for a movie. Eric’s favorite
musical artist/rapper was 2 PAC, and his second love was the culinary arts. He created foods and displayed them on Facebook and invited many to come and sample his culinary gourmet creations. Prior to his death, Eric was about to launch his personal catering business that would feature all his culinary creations.

Eric really enjoyed people and never met a stranger. He was loved by many people and developed and shared a personal relationship with God. Many tried to convert and lead him to God, but he was already there. 

Eric truly loved his daughters, “Sha,” and “Ty,” as he would affectionately call them. He was blessed by one granddaughter, Paris, whom he adored. He was not fortunate enough to see his grandson, Christian, who was just born.

He was preceded in death by: his grandfather, W.J. Johnson; grandmothers, Francis Powers, Grace Johnson, and Ella Dean Williams; aunts, Maggie and Lois Johnson; uncles, Roosevelt, James, Augusta, and J.W. Johnson, all of Gulfport, Mississippi; and a host of other aunts and uncles.

Eric is survived by: his two daughters, Shakura D. Crawford and Tykeira I. Crawford, both of Gulfport, Mississippi; granddaughter, Paris D. Crawford; grandson Christian; father, Samuel Crawford, Jr., of Gulfport, Mississippi; mother, Alice M. (Johnson) Jeter of Gulfport, Mississippi;
one brother, Donté D. Crawford of Las Vegas, Nevada; two sisters, Alicia D. (Crawford) Brown (Jason) of Portsmouth, Virginia, and Jamila E. (Jeter) Robinson (Tellis) of Bryans Road, Maryland; nieces, Taryn Crawford (Donté), Rebel, and Reign Brown (Alicia), and Ciara Bonner (Jamila); a
nephew, God Crawford (Donté); a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.  Eric leaves behind, as he would put it, “My Closest Homies for Life,” Ronnie, Joe, and Muncey.

Eric’s unexpected passing has left a void in our lives, with many things that we want to say or do: to ask for forgiveness and to forgive, to say I love you, to have just one more hug or smile. As Eric was not alone in his passing from this world, neither is he alone in the reception at his
new home. Let us not grieve that he is gone, but rejoice that God allowed us to share Eric for 48 years.