Jim was born on August 14, 1938 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to James H. and Edna Lewis Crowder. In his youth, Jim was a talented athlete and avid outdoorsman. He entered the Army in 1958 and was selected to attend Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1959. During his service, Jim served two combat tours in Vietnam and received numerous awards for his service. In addition, he received the Soldier’s Medal during his assignment in Augsburg, Germany. He retired from active duty in 1978 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He continued to serve his country in the civil service where he was instrumental in the development of the program of instruction for mobilization planning. He finished his career with the Battle Lab and was awarded the Order of Saint Maurice upon his retirement in 2004. During his military and civil service, Jim received his Bachelor’s degree in business and his Master’s degrees in Personnel Management and Foundations of Education.
Jim remained a friend and confidant to many of the people he served with long after his retirement. He was dedicated to his family and was always generous with his time and energy, whether it was as a chaperone with his wife Lee on school trips for his daughter or as a Little League coach for his grandson. He was a long-time member of the Columbus Country Club with his wife Lee and took leadership roles in the Army Otter-Caribou Association and the Columbus community.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Edna Crowder (Lewis); sisters, Joyce Washburn (Crowder), Joan Thompson (Crowder), Judy Lane (Crowder) and Stella Zara (Crowder); and his brother, Robert Crowder.
Jim is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 62 years, Lee Crowder (Abrams); his daughter, Stacey Crowder; his grandson, Garrett Vigil; his sister-in-law, Joyce Cox (Abrams); his brother-in-law, James Brock; along with several nieces and nephews.
A private graveside service with military honors will be held on Friday, June 16th, 2023 at Fort Mitchell National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Jim’s memory to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Program. This program provides a home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers at no cost to the families. The Atlanta Hope Lodge was a true blessing to Jim and his family during his treatment at Emory in 2017. Donations can be made online https://donate.cancer.org/?campaign=hopelodgeprogramdonate, by check via mail to the Atlanta Hope Lodge at 1552 Shoup Court, Decatur, Georgia 30033, or by phone at 1-800-227-2345.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.shcolumbus.com with the Crowder family.
