Mrs. Clemmye M. Crawford Obituary (2023)

Van Hoose & Steele Funeral Home, Inc. announces the transition of Mrs. Clemmye M. Crawford. GRAVESIDE SERVICE: Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Cedar Oak Memorial Park, 1401 Mimosa Park Road, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405. Rev. Dr. Curtis Marie Smalls, officiant and eulogist. Clemmye Marie Simon Crawford, 95, died Wednesday, May 31, 2023, peacefully, naturally, and resolute at her home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Clemmye was born December 25, 1927, in Lake Charles, LA to the late Beulah Hawkins Simon and Mottimo (Mott) Simon where she grew up with her three sisters on her parent's farm. Her sisters Irma Mandana Simon Harris, Lillian Macy Simon Roberts, and Justine Anita Simon Sutphen preceded her in death. Clemmye graduated high school in Lake Charles followed by a short college stay in Texas before going on to a nursing program in New Orleans, LA where she met and married the love of her life, William (Bill) Stephen Crawford, Sr. of Tuscaloosa. Shortly after she gave birth to a son, Bill, Jr. (Billy). While her husband Bill enlisted in the US Air Force, Clemmye returned to the farm as their base of operations and sometime later gave birth to a daughter, Renee Barnes (Crawford). Clemmye took the family to join him once her husband was stationed in Japan, after which they moved to Los Angeles, CA. In Los Angeles, she worked as a social worker for the county for 30 years, was a member of Holman Methodist Church, sang in their choir, and supported her husband in the Southern California Rapid Transit District bus driver's union leadership all while raising a family. After retirement, she moved to her husband's hometown of Tuscaloosa, where she volunteered at the Maude L. Whatley Health Center and was an active member and Associate Matron of Muskin Pride Chapter #870-B Order of the Eastern Star for 39 years. She and Bill became active members at St. Paul AME Church as well as in a local social club and were instrumental in development of the Crawford/Madison/Mack family reunions and Tuscaloosa committee. Clemmye was a gracious, graceful, accessible, genuine, kind, loyal, loving, generous, supportive, caring, and spiritual person who loved family, friends, and people. She enjoyed fashion, shopping, cooking, singing, Mahalia Jackson, playing the organ (even tried the guitar), letter writing, reading, crossword puzzles, game shows, movies, traveling, visiting, Christmas, the church, and, most of all, she loved the Lord. Clemmye was preceded in death by her husband, daughter, and Leo Barnes (son-in-law). Clemmye is survived by her son William (Billy) Stephen Crawford, Jr., granddaughter Michelle-Renee Johnson (Barnes), grandson Matthew Barnes (Amy and Landon), great granddaughter Sydney Jade Barnes, nieces Sussan Sutphen, Diane Sutphen, Lady Cecil Sutphen (Gerard Wilkes), and other relatives and friends too numerous to mention here. She will be missed by all who knew her.