September 20, 1935 - March 24, 2022
Countless people have lost a true friend, mentor, and loved one when Everett Larry Crowell joined his beloved wife, Joan Fritze Crowell, to be with the Lord on March 24, 2022. Larry died at the age of 86 after a courageous battle against the complications of Dementia.
Born in Durant, OK, in 1935, Larry traveled with his mother, Willeva Crowell, by train to Washington D.C. to meet up with his father, Everett Crowell, who was expected to find work there. Larry was only two months old. Those were times of uncertainty as the clouds of war were forming over our country. After multiple relocations, they eventually settled in San Antonio. He met the love of his life, Joan, at Edison High School, graduating in 1953. He applied and was accepted into the US Coast Guard academy and graduated on June 1st, 1957. Larry and Joan married just 7 days later. Larry also earned a Civil Engineering Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1962. While life in the Coast Guard meant time away from family during tours in Korea and Vietnam, it also fed their love of travel as the family spanned the US, living on the west coast, east coast, gulf coast, mid-west and as far north as Alaska.
Over the years, Larry and Joan combined their love of travel and the joy of being with family, traveling to places which include Germany, Hawaii, South America, Disney World, Canada, and Grand Canyon. Larry always had his camera ready and recorded the adventures on hundreds of slides which he loved share on the projector with family and friends.
After Larry’s retirement, they settled in New Braunfels, TX to be closer to their parents and siblings. Larry became an active member of Peace Lutheran Church leading the Call Committee, Building Committee, member of the church choir, Bible Study teacher, and first president of the congregation. His numerous community volunteer activities included the SOS Food Bank, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and being a mentor for the Helping One Student to Succeed (HOST) program. He would likely say that his most rewarding contribution was to the Stephen Ministry providing one-to-one care to individuals struggling with major and minor life crises.
Larry is mostly remembered for his kind nature, sense of humor, honesty, integrity, and pure sense of caring for everyone. In a memoir he wrote, Larry said that one’s life can be summed up in a “dash” – the dash on the tombstone between the date of birth and the date of death. Larry’s dash is filled with love for country, family, friends, and those he barely knew… but will never forget him.
Larry is survived by his three children and their spouses. Elaine and Larry Lindstrom (Brookville, OH), Sharon and Nathan Anderson (San Marcos, TX), and Jerry and Kathleen Crowell (Colorado Springs, CO). He is also survived by seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, his sister Anita McDaniel (Boerne,TX), and sister-in-law, Joan Fritze (San Antonio, TX).
If you wish to make a donation in Larry’s memory, the family suggests donating to Peace Lutheran Church - 1147 S Walnut Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130.
A visitation will be held at the Zoeller Funeral Home in New Braunfels on March 28th between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 PM. A funeral service will be held at Peace Lutheran Church on March 29th at 10:00 AM. A small gravesite service with full military honors will be held at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery on April 19th at 10:00 AM. For additional information, please contact the Zoeller Funeral Home (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/new-braunfels-tx/zoeller-funeral-home/4188)
