MaryAnn Crews

A Funeral of Death and Resurrection of MaryAnn Smith Eubanks Crews, 88 years old, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 27, 2026 at Shandon United Methodist Church, 3407 Devine St, Columbia SC 29205. Visitation will follow the service at the church. Burial will be held at 4:00 p.m. in Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church cemetery, 794 Browning Gate Rd, Varnville. SC, 29918.

MaryAnn was born August 22, 1937 to Vyrie Ann Harrison and William Benjamin Smith. She grew up on the farm known as “Grub Hill” near Estill, SC and loved life from the day she was born. She loved to greet visitors to her Grandfather (called Papa) and pick her Grandmother (called Big Mama’s) flowers to give them. She held church often with the other children living on the farm as the congregation. She played the piano and led them in songs and then preached to them. At times, she served Papa’s homemade wine as she held communion. Of course, the Harrison family was close as well as the Smith side of the family.

In 1955, as Miss Hampton County, she was crowned the Pageland Watermelon Queen, and was also one of the 10 finalists in the Miss SC pageant. Upon graduating from Estill High School where she played basketball, was a cheerleader and participated in all musical events including taking piano and voice, she attended Columbia College. She was active in many areas at Columbia College and loved every moment of her time there. After graduating with degrees in Voice and Piano Pedagogy, she moved to Atlanta to teach and selected that place so she could attend the Metropolitan Opera which toured there each year. She immediately started a Columbia College Alumnae Club there and returned to Columbia College often for the Alumnae Council meetings which she attended and served on for the rest of her life.

After five years of teaching, she was asked to return to Columbia College as Director of Alumnae Affairs, which she loved. She only left when her daughter Ann Louise was born. Later she served as President of the Columbia College Alumnae Association and for 12 years on the Columbia College Board of Trustees. She was awarded the Distinguished Service Award and the Medallion Award. During the celebration of the Sesqui-Centennial, she was asked to serve as Chair of the History Committee. She worked tirelessly for years with the committee on a history of the college. With the editorial help of son Ed Eubanks, the history of the college was produced in a book entitled “We Thy Glory Sing”.

During her years as Director of Alumnae Affairs at Columbia College, MaryAnn married John Edgar “Ed” Eubanks. Dr. R. Wright Spears, President of the College, with Rev. David Eubanks, performed the ceremony and the Columbia College Choir, directed by Guthrie Darr, singing at the wedding. They had two children, Ann Louise Eubanks, and John Edgar Eubanks, Jr. While the children were very young, MaryAnn taught private piano lessons at home. She had many delightful students and loved teaching them. Then, MaryAnn had the privilege of teaching at Hammond where her children attended. MaryAnn wrote the Hammond Fight Song and she and the second grade team started the annual second grade musicals. She loved teaching and always loved seeing her students in later years and speaking and talking to them. Ed Sr died in 1990. Following his death, MaryAnn, at the request of the employees, began to run the business he had started in 1971, J. Edgar Eubanks and Associates, an Association Management Company. In 2018, one of the associations MaryAnn had served as Executive Director for 28 years, the National Association of Decorative Fabrics, presented her with their Medallion Award in appreciation for her long years of service.

In 1996, MaryAnn married Dr. Jerry Frank Crews, Jr. They had known each other during high school and college years, both being from Hampton County. For 20 plus years of their marriage, they lived in Hampton and Columbia, with MaryAnn running the business in Columbia fondly known as JEE, and Jerry Frank continuing to practice dentistry in Hampton. Dr. Sinclair Lewis, who married them, challenged them with the statement that if MaryAnn was going to become a Tiger and pull for Clemson, the least Jerry Frank could do was become a Methodist. So he did and they both worked fervently for Shandon United Methodist church.

At Shandon, MaryAnn and Ed had taught Sunday School when the children were younger. Later they joined the JOY Sunday School class, and both served as President at different times. MaryAnn served as Chair of the Administrative Board later known as Church Council, as chair of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, as Chair of the Centennial Celebration, and as Chair of the History and Archives Committee. She sang in the Chancel Choir for years and later switched to the Celebration Choir. She played the piano for their JOY Sunday School class. And she was active in the Mary Campbell Circle. She and Jerry Frank served as Greeters and as Delegates to the SC Methodist Conference. Jerry Frank served as an Usher. MaryAnn also served on the SC Methodist Foundation Board. She also served on the Committee for the Columbia District Superintendent of the SC Conference of the United Methodist Church.

MaryAnn was active in many musical circles in Columbia. She served as President of the Columbia Choral Society and as President of the Morning and Afternoon Music Clubs. She and Jerry Frank were members of the Evening Music Club. They both loved to dance and were members of the SC Debutante Ball and the Saraband Dance Club. MaryAnn was also a member of the Palmetto Study Club. She served as President of the Palmetto Study Club in 2019-20.

MaryAnn was predeceased by her father in 1960, by her first husband, Ed Eubanks, in 1990, by her mother in 1991, and by her husband, Dr. Jerry Frank Crews, Jr. in 2024. She is survived by her two children, Ann Louise and her husband Dave Schmitt of St. Louis, MO and Rev. John Edgar Eubanks, Jr. “Ed” and his wife Marcie of Charlotte, NC. Step children Michael Brabham Crews and his wife Amy of Ocala, FL, Jane Louise Crews Crowe and her husband Steve of Orange Park, FL and Catherine Detwiler Crews Rainsford of Hampton, SC. Grandchildren: Jack, Molly, Abbey and Caroline Eubanks and Trinity and DJ Schmitt, Step Grandchildren: Harper Cook and wife Victoria, Elleson Anne & Camille Rainsford, Campbell, Camden and Cole Crews, and Step Great Grandchildren Eva Cornell Cook and Eden Childs.

MaryAnn was an enthusiastic lover of life and was passionate about the things she loved: her God, her family, her church, her college, her work, her music, and her friends. She met some difficult times during her life, including cancer and the loss of loved ones. But she lived by the code her beloved Mother taught her, “Give to the world the best that you have, and the best will come back to you.” And she did and it did! She is now singing and at peace with her Heavenly Father and her Savior, Jesus Christ.