Richard Edelin Crouch

Richard Edelin Crouch, 85, of Arlington, Virginia, died on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, 2025, with his family by his side. Richard was born December 3, 1940, in Washington, D.C., the eldest son of the late Howard Fairfax Crouch and Helen Edelin Crouch. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Blake French Crouch, whom he married in 1965.

Richard is a 1958 graduate of Washington-Lee High School in Arlington. He completed his undergraduate and law degrees at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. After law school, he served for four years as a lawyer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps after completing basic training and infantry commander training.

Richard was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1964; the US Court of Military Appeals in 1965; and the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia all in 1970. From 1968-1981, he worked as a legal writer and editor for the legal publisher BNA, writing for Criminal Law Reporter and United States Law Week before becoming the first editor of Family Law Reporter. At the same time he practiced law in Arlington, focusing on military law, criminal law, family law, legal malpractice and discipline, and especially civil liberties and other public-interest litigation. His practice became officially full-time in the early 1980s, with an increasing focus on family law. Because Arlington was home to many military and diplomatic families, and because of his work with Family Law Reporter and the American Bar Association, he became one of the first specialists in inter-state and international family law. Richard was a partner in the law firm Crouch & Crouch alongside his son John until his retirement in 2018.

Richard was involved in the drafting of many of the laws that are now used every day in family law, such as those about property division, diplomats' pensions, and the first ethics code for mediators. He co-chaired the American Bar Association's Child Custody Committee and its task force on federal legislation. From 1991 to 2014, he served on the State Bar Family Law Section's Board of Governors and edited its quarterly. He was also active in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and local bar associations. He was the author of Family Law Checklists, published by West Group, Interstate Custody Litigation, published by BNA, The Legal Status of Homemakers in Virginia, published by the Government Printing Office, and the editor, then co-editor with John Crouch, of Negotiating and Drafting Marital Agreements, published by Virginia Continuing Legal Education. He was also the author of Brandy Station: A Battle Like None Other; Rough-Riding Scout: The story of John W. Mobberly, Loudoun's Own Civil War Guerrilla; and The Virginia Gentleman: A Field Guide, an Owner's Manual, a History, and a Way of Life.

Richard served on the Board of Directors for Frying Pan Park in Fairfax as well as the Fairfax Historical Society and many other civic organizations dedicated to preserving local history for future generations.

In addition to his wife of 60 years, Richard is survived by his son John Howard Crouch (wife Laura), grandchildren John (Jack) Walton Crouch, Griffin Capper Crouch, and Fiona Edwards Crouch of Arlington, sister Stephanie Crouch Burgess, brother J. Douglas Crouch, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his daughter Virginia Elizabeth Crouch, brother Howard Rodney Crouch, and his parents.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Church of Our Saviour at Oatlands, 20340 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, VA 20175, with the Rev. Jonathan M. Kell officiating. A reception for family and friends will be from 3:00-5:00 PM immediately after the service with light refreshments provided.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research [https://www.michaeljfox.org/