John Alfred Crumb

Crumb
John Alfred Crumb, age 86, of Jacksonville, FL, passed away July 18, 2020. His long battle with Alzheimer's was ended by the coronavirus. He was kind, intelligent, funny, and a much-beloved husband and father.
John was born in Newport, Tennessee. In high school, he studied hard and enjoyed playing on the football team. He also raced cars in his spare time (unknown, of course, to his mother). After graduation, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and worked at a company managing gases for industry.
He met and married Marie Breeden in 1958. She remained the love of his life for 62 years until his passing. They were the proud parents of a daughter, Deborah.
In 1966, he moved to Florida to help land a man on the moon. He was very proud of helping the USA achieve this dream by handling the gases required both for rocket propulsion and life in space. He could tell pretty scary stories about having to train on emergency escapes by flying through the air from the top of the rocket to the ground on the equivalent of a zip line!
John subsequently managed hotels and restaurants, some with the assistance of his wife, throughout Florida and Georgia. He joined the United States Postal Service, serving as an HVAC mechanic and trainer throughout North Florida. He retired from USPS in 2001.
John loved traveling and he and his family traveled to 47 of the 50 states, missing only Alaska, Hawaii, and North Dakota. As a true child of the Tennessee Mountains, he enjoyed NASCAR and rarely missed a race on TV. He could find a way to fix or build just about anything. He was also a voracious reader (especially crime mysteries) and enjoyed photography, fishing, and camping. After retirement, he walked twice a day every day and was well known throughout the neighborhood for his walks. He loved peanut butter and would snarl up his nose at garlic (except he loved spaghetti – go figure).
John is survived by his beloved wife Marie Crumb, daughter Deborah Crumb, sister Mary Shelton and many special nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Hezekiah Crumb and Lissie Bell Shaver, sister Beatrice Ellason and brother Charles Crumb. His family wishes to thank his home caregivers as well as the caregivers at Taylor Care Center who watched over him as he transitioned to Heaven. Special acknowledgment goes to Sally Coppage who was his first home caregiver and remained a caregiver to the end.
There will be no services at this time due to Covid-19. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer's Association or Community Hospice of Jacksonville.
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