L. Jeremy Crews Jr.

1935 - 2025

L. Jeremy Crews, Jr.

January 5, 1935 - July 1, 2025

Lewis Jeremy Crews, Jr. "Jere" passed away on July 1, 2025, after a long illness. Jere is survived by his sister, Lucie Lee Crews; two daughters, Courtney Feeman (Randy, deceased) and Claibourne Jackson (Allen); as well as two grandsons, E. Gray Miller and Watson Miller; a niece and nephew; as well as many cousins.

Born and raised in Richmond on St. Christopher's Road, he was, from the beginning, always absorbed in exploring, building, questioning and generally functioning "outside the box." From the age of about 4, Jere developed his mechanical genius with tremendous focus and energy.

Jere graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and finished Virginia Tech (VPI) in 1957 with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. He loved his days at Tech where, besides honing his engineering skills, he played bass drum in the Highty-Tighty band and banjo in a bluegrass music combo. After graduation he was stationed in Ft. Knox in the Army for a year. Upon leaving the Army, Jere went to work for Honeywell where he stayed until an inspiration changed his life.

A friend's father had a large, old sailboat and had complained to Jere that it was too hot on the Chesapeake Bay to stay onboard. Jere realized the need for marine air conditioning and thus began his work to solve that problem and start his long career in the marine industry.

Jere worked to develop an effective air conditioner suitable for the damp and unstable conditions on a boat. After working for months making and testing prototypes, he perfected a system. He took it to New York for the national marine trade show, but didn't have a booth space. So, Jere and a partner passed out cards and talked to people all around the show inviting them to their hotel room to see the AC unit running; in the bathroom using bathtub water!

Orders came quickly and manufacturing began. Jere ran Marine Development Corporation, with the product named CRUISAIR for nearly 30 years, growing it from nothing to a successful, flourishing business. His product became the industry standard for marine air conditioning and was installed by many domestic and international boat manufacturers as standard equipment.

Jere was tireless and could be found out on the manufacturing floor as often as in his office. Early on, Jere resolved to provide customer service above and beyond anything known. Jere had gotten his pilot's license nearly before he could drive. So, he began renting an airplane to make service calls. He would fly in, take his tool bag, refrigerant and gauges to the boat needing service and work until the job was done. In the late 1980s, Jere divested himself of Marine Development and attempted to retire. Retirement definitely didn't suit him, he still had so many ideas and boundless energy. He considered buying another manufacturing business, but after examining the company's product, decided he could design a better one. So, he went home and designed and patented Lectrotab marine trim tab actuators driven by electricity rather than the then-standard hydraulics. The Lectrotab business took off and is running successfully today with a wide customer base.

Jere also invented a heating and cooling unit for railroad maintenance vehicles that could easily attach to a vehicle's existing hydraulics. The railroads had tried traditional rooftop vehicle units, but conditions on the rail maintenance vehicles are harsh and would shake those to a fast failure. The MacBone product is still made and sold to railroads and has also been used on port cargo cranes as well as some mobile military field electronics stations.

By the time Jere actually retired around 2008, he held several patents and had started and run four different manufacturing businesses. He knew that success depends on help from others, and he truly appreciated his employees over the years. He treasured his friends, and was loyal to many, even keeping up with some since first grade. When he turned 50, Jere hosted a birthday party and invited everyone from his first-grade class, including the teacher! She was surprised and thrilled to attend the party.

Jere had a pilot's license to fly single-engine and multi-engine fixed wing planes in both VFR and IFR, as well as a helicopter rating. He loved to sail and regularly made trips in his boat from the Chesapeake Bay down to Florida and around the Bahamas. Along with planes and boats, Jere had a passion for cars and motorcycles and meticulously restored and showed many over the years. At one time in the '80s Jere had more than a dozen cars, several motorcycles, an airplane and a sailboat and managed to maintain them all as well as work and travel. He would say he loved the Cruisair business and that, to him, work was a joy.

Jere was generous, judicious, confident, fearless, tireless, adventurous, kind-hearted, eccentric, non-conformist, optimistic, gentle, funny and smart. He was a whirlwind of a man, a truly remarkable human being. He will be missed by his friends and certainly by his family.

A memorial service will be held Monday, July 28, 2025, at 11 a.m., at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond VA, followed by a reception at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Westminster Canterbury Foundation or Alzheimer's Association.