E J Crow

Mr. E J Crow, age 68, of Dahlonega, GA, died Sunday, October 16, 2011, at his home with his loving family at his bedside.

E J was a native and lifelong resident of Lumpkin County. He was retired from the Lockheed-Martin Company after 32 years of service. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and was a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church in Lumpkin County.

E J Crow let not one day waste for the duration of his life. As the youngest brother of seven sons, he developed a demeanor tougher than a pine knot and as resilient as can be found in the world. Every task his hands found was performed with greater effort, precision, and perfection than seemed possible. His hands were a testimony to the life he lived and the people he loved. His powerful grip and hardened hands bore testimony to the hours of sweat and labor he carried out every day, even after retiring from 32 years at Lockheed-Martin. After you shook his hand his blue eyes lit up as he began to tell you about his family: the people whom he loved the most. Those who were his knew the gentleness of his hands that others may not have the privilege to know. He loved his wife, Pat, with a devotion deeper than language offers to describe. They were married for 46 years. He loved her like his Savior loved the Church, giving up his life as a sacrifice of service to her. The great argument they shared was who loved the other the most. His children, Gaylena and Chad, share endless hours of memories with their daddy. He raised them to walk the straightest line possible because he loved them and cherished the responsibility God offered him as a father. He played with them joyfully, working harder having a good time as he did providing for them. When it came time to welcome a son and daughter-in-law, Phillip Self(husband to Gaylena) and Tina Crow(wife to Chad), they came in to receive his full love as his own children.

When grandchildren came, he gained one more role in addition to husband and daddy. He became "Papa". This is not the typical title given to most grandparents. You pronounce the a's like the a in the word "apple". Almost every child has a Papa (a as in father). But only three boys and a granddaughter-in-law have a "Papa": Quentin and Carmen Self, Ely Self, and Levi Crow. Too many memories to count do his grandsons have, He instilled in them a love to fish and hunt and be outside, passed onto them priceless wisdom and skills in their hours together. He became their best buddy and their fishing buddy.

He will be missed dearly by those whom he poured all his life and energy into. He did nothing out of self-interest but would walk more miles with you than you ever even thought about asking him to. He was a quiet man who reserved words for when they were most needed, and as a result, his words were never empty.