Walter Pete Crye

Pete was born in Knoxville, TN, on March 17, 1945, to Walter Clyde Crye and Margaret Amelia Crye. Although he lived the majority of his adult life in Irondale, AL, Pete maintained a love for the mountains of Tennessee, where he grew up. He was a graduate of Woodlawn High School and attended Jefferson State College and UAB.

For 35 years, Pete worked as a Certified Purchasing Manager and purchasing agent for Rust Engineering and Construction. He later served as Director of Security at Greystone.

Pete was a man of strong Christian conviction and a dedicated member of McElwain Baptist Church (later Hope Community Church) since 1959, serving faithfully in various roles and committees over the years. Pete had an unwavering faith in the Lord; he loved God with a simple, trusting faith and was deeply committed to prayer.

After his devotion to his faith and his family, politics was Pete’s passion. Throughout his life, he was actively involved in politics, volunteering on numerous national, state, and local campaigns. Pete proudly served as an Irondale City Councilman from 1992 to 2004.

Pete was preceded in death by his father, Walter Clyde Crye; mother, Margaret (Crye) Beckett; stepfather, James Albert Beckett; sister, Elizabeth Gail (Crye) Manning; and first wife, JoAnn (Rittenhouse) Crye and her beloved parents and sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Sue (Blanks) Crye; his children, Walter Pete Crye, Jr. (Krisalyn) and Kim (Crye) Rickels (JP); his stepchildren, Andrew Blanks (Brendt) and Matthew Blanks (Lawson); his grandchildren and step-grandchildren Madilyn and Patrick Crye, Sarah and Lexi Thornton, Gracalynn and Kinsley Rickels, Sara, Abigail, Caroline, and Paul Blanks; nephews and nieces, Scott Manning, David Manning (Concetta), Shaun Forshey (Nicole), Christy Zbytniewski (Ed), Grace Harris (Jake), and Bridget McAlister (Heath) along with three great-nephews and five great-nieces; brothers-in-law Rocky Forshey and John Tully.

It was Pete’s wish that any memorial tributes be made in the form of charitable donations to Hope Community Church (www.hopebhm.org).

A visitation will be held on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Hope Community Church, Birmingham, AL. A celebration of life service will follow at 12:00 p.m.