Elizabeth Mae Crossley

December 24, 1940 – April 6, 2016

Elizabeth Mae Crossley passed peacefully into the waiting arms of the Lord on April 6, 2016, with family and friends at her bedside. She was 75 years old.

The eldest child of Mae and Arthur Edwards, Elizabeth was born in Los Angeles, California on Christmas Eve, 1940, and remained in the greater Los Angeles area her entire life. She loved life from an early age – was a fearless toddler, and never once lost her eagerness to learn, explore, take calculated risks and pursue life with zest.

She had considered a career in nursing, but opted for teaching. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from California State University – Northridge in 1962; and her California State teaching credential shortly thereafter. She went on to earn additional credits in administration and special education, teaching special needs children intermittently, as required. She did this all while raising her young family. In the late 1970s, she became a travel agent, in addition to teaching, to enable her pursuit of travel, assisting friends and family with tours.

She married the love of her life and high school sweetheart, James Crossley, in 1961, who predeceased her in 1979. Her life was devoted to her children, Michael, Donna, and Richard, and their families, as well as to the countless students she taught during her 38-year career as a school teacher at Los Angeles City schools.

Proud of her heritage and a true patriot, she helped trace her parents’ Welsh and English roots to beyond the landing of the Mayflower – back to the 15th century. She was especially proud of her grandfather’s musical legacy, with his music now held in the British Museum in London, England, as well as in the National Museum of Wales. One of her favorite hymns, “Evening,” was written by her father in 1950. Her mother’s bloodline also extends into England and Wales, and she has proud family roots in Virginia, then Tennessee, where her mother’s side of the family originally settled after coming to the New World. Her granddaughters are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as the Daughters of the Confederacy.

She was the greatest supporter and fan of her children and grandchildren. She attended countless sports events at which her children and grandchildren played, school plays, and musical presentations in which her children and grandchildren participated.

She encouraged everyone in their endeavors, even when they felt like giving up. She brought her children traveling, so they could see how wide the world was, and always encouraged them in their thirst for knowledge, and in the spreading of their wings. She was their nurse and caretaker in their illnesses and injuries. The very definition of integrity, she led not only by example, but by verbal guidance, and only when it was asked for or truly needed. She was the rock of her family.

She is survived by her three children, Michael, Donna and Richard; their spouses Patricia and Kristan; her seven grandchildren: James, Danielle, Kyle, Megan, Michael, Cameron and Kailyn, all in the Los Angeles area; her sisters Gwen Catherine Edwards of San Francisco, and Anne Louise Edwards of Los Osos, California; niece Alina Perez of Sacramento, and grandniece Lizzie Perez. She will be missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, she wished for donations to be made in her honor to the American Diabetes Association, or to a favorite organization that supports children in need.