Thomas Crawford

1943 - 2025

Thomas Crawford
06/07/1943 - 09/21/2025
Thomas Arment Crawford was a caring, loving, and strong human being. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Tom was born in San Francisco to Arment and Dorothy (Kelley) Crawford. He grew up in the Eureka Valley neighborhood and began his education at Most Holy Redeemer Grammar School, where he formed many lifelong friendships.
He cherished every moment spent with those friends. They played in the streets, knowing it was time to head home when the church bell rang. As teenagers, they loved working on each other's cars. Later in life, they enjoyed family vacations, camping trips, card games, and simply spending fun times together.
Tom continued his education at Lowell High School and later attended City College of San Francisco, where he earned an Associate's Degree in Criminology. It was there he met the love of his life, Antonetta Francesca Minniti. Their bond blossomed into a marriage that lasted 61 years-a true testament to enduring love and partnership.
After starting a family, Tom and Toni moved to Daly City, where Tom began his law enforcement career with the Daly City Police Department. In 1967, after three years of service, he joined the San Francisco Police Department-his dream job. He served the city with honor and dedication until his retirement in 1997.
Tom began his career in the Potrero district, where he was one of two officers selected for the plainclothes unit. He worked closely with community groups to strengthen relationships within the district. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, becoming Sergeant, Inspector, and eventually Lieutenant.
In 1984, he was one of only two officers cleared by the Secret Service to work inside the Democratic National Convention. In 1987, he started a Narcotics Enforcement Task Force comprised of 40 men and women. Following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, he served as the initial Officer in Charge of the Marina District. As a Lieutenant, he was one of two officers leading San Francisco's Narcotics Division.
Throughout his career, Tom worked tirelessly to make the city he loved a safer place for all.
In 1971, Tom and Toni moved to Marin County to be closer to family and friends, once again forming deep and lasting friendships with their neighbors and members of the community. Tom especially loved playing bocce ball in San Rafael with his beloved "harem"-a warm, caring group of friends who always looked out for him. He also enjoyed many lively games of Pedro with a local senior group in Novato, though his favorite games were always those played with family and close friends.
In his final days, there was a steady flow of visits from those who loved him-family and friends coming together to share stories, laughter, and their love for Tom.
Tom's life was deeply rooted in family. Together with Antonetta, he raised three children: Paul (Alison), John (Tami), and Kelley (Doug). His legacy lives on through his cherished grandchildren-Samantha (Kevin), Alysha, Katelyn, Catherine, Lucas, Lindsey, Tommy, and Ruby-and his great-grandson, Beau. He loved teasing them, and his eyes would light up when they entered the room. He was fortunate to spend his final days spending a special moment with each of them.
He was predeceased by his parents, Arment and Dorothy Crawford, his brothers, Butchy and Bob and his granddaughter, Sarah.
Tom also held a special place in his heart for his sister-in-law, Patricia, and nephews Colin (Nichole) and Craig (Maggie), along with their families spending many holidays and special celebrations with them.
A man of deep faith, Tom was a devout Catholic throughout his life. At the time of his passing, he was a member of St. Isabella Parish in San Rafael. A Mass and celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 11:00 AM, at St. Isabella's Church, One Trinity Way, San Rafael, CA. All are welcome to attend.