Daryn, the youngest of three, was born on July 3rd, 1960 in Tampa, Florida to Betty Sheffield Crowder and Robert “Bob” Gaither Crowder. Daryn spent her early childhood years riding horses in her backyard and eventually showed horses competitively, ultimately qualifying for nationals. Horses were a shared family pastime that she greatly enjoyed.
Growing up, Daryn attended St. John’s Episcopal and Tampa Preparatory School, while spending summers at Camp Greystone and lifeguarding as a teenager. In 1978, Daryn graduated from H.B. Plant High School as a National Merit Scholar. She went on to study at Florida State University, where she joined Alpha Delta Pi. She later moved back to Tampa and finished her studies at the University of South Florida, where she started to date the love of her life, Wilfred Ramos, Jr. On June 30th, 1984, Daryn married Wilfred, uniting two large families, currently with six generations of deep roots in the Tampa community.
In the early days of her marriage, Daryn worked for her father at Crowder Insurance and enjoyed the beach and boating on the weekends. In 1987, Daryn helped Wilfred start his own company, Architectural Tile & Marble, and continued to support his entrepreneurial endeavors in the family business. She helped in many phases of the business; most notably expanding the commercial offering to include residential design services. Like her mother, Daryn had a knack for interior design and her infectious personality brought in many new customers when ATM needed it the most. In her final days, Daryn mustered up the strength to continue doing what she loved by redecorating her own house. She had a gift in turning a house into a home.
In 1987, Daryn and Wilfred welcomed their first daughter, Mallory Jane; 18-months later along came daughter number two, Ansley Lane; and two and a half years later their son, Wilfred Graham joined the family. Daryn took great pride in raising her family and was proud to watch them grow into hardworking, loving adults. Not only was she a devoted mother to her three kids, but there were many others who affectionately called her Mama D. Through her selfless acts and words of wisdom, she had a way of making anyone feel like they were immediately part of the family.
Family was her center, and she was blessed by having much of her extended family living within just a few miles. She cherished her close relationships with her parents, brothers, in-laws (who considered her a daughter and a sister), as well as her many nieces and nephews. Daryn was the glue to her extended family. She was the one you turned to for a listening ear, and she always provided sound advice. She savored the moments when she could get the family together and share a meal around the dinner table with the ones she loved most.
She loved nothing more than hosting people. Whether in Tampa or Anna Maria, Daryn was always surrounded by a community of family and great friends. She welcomed people with arms wide open and was accepting to all. She had a sense of humor and could hang with just about anyone. She equally enjoyed a cold beer with friends at a bait shop, as much as a nice bottle of wine at a renowned New York restaurant.
Daryn kept in close touch with her childhood friends and continued to build her community of friends through her involvement in the PTA and her kid’s sports. For many years, there wasn’t a day of the week where you couldn’t find her shuttling kids from the pool to the baseball field, or managing the concession stand at the little league field. In her later years, Daryn enjoyed spending quality time with Wilfred at their beach house in Anna Maria. She loved nothing more than hosting her family and friends for a weekend at the beach, grilling out and relaxing by the pool. Over the years, Daryn met many dear friends through her involvement in the Junior League of Tampa, Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, the Tampa Yacht Club, Palma Ceia Country Club and Key Royale in Anna Maria Island.
Daryn is survived by her husband of 36 years, Wilfred Ramos, Jr; her children and their spouses, Mallory and Andrew Brannan, Ansley and Cory Castillo, and Graham and Jenna Ramos; and grandchild, who affectionately called her RaRa, Leighton Lane Castillo (daughter of Ansley and Cory). On the Crowder side, Daryn is survived by her father, Robert “Bob” Crowder and his spouse, Bette; her brother Sheffield Crowder and his two kids, Abbey and Henry; as well as her nephew, Ryan. On the Ramos side, she is survived by her mother-in-law, Mary Jane Ramos; her brothers-in-law and their spouses, Vincent Ramos, Paul and Jane Ramos, John and Lisa Ramos, and James and Connie Ramos; and her Ramos nieces and nephews, Mary Jessica, Jacob, Sarah, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Victoria, Abigail, and Aidan. She is preceded in death by her beloved mother, Betty Sheffield Crowder; brother, Robert Gaither Crowder, Jr; and father-in-law, Wilfred Ramos, Sr.
A private service at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church will be held on Friday, July 31st, 2020. The service will be made available to Daryn’s large community of family and friends through a live stream on Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church’s Facebook page and PCPC’s YouTube channel, starting at 1:30 PM. In due time, there will be a Celebration of Life to honor Daryn as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Daryn cherished her faith, family, and friends; her genuine, fun-loving personality will be remembered fondly by all who met her.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, www.palmaceia.org, (813) 253-6047.
