Carla Trice Crawford

As the sun rose on the morning of August 4, 2025, in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, Carla Trice Crawford, age 57, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family. She left this world as she lived in it, with grace, dignity, and unshakable courage. Though the earth feels dimmer without her radiant presence, Heaven is surely brighter with Carla there, and she has joined the chorus of angels. Her absence will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved her.

Carla played many roles throughout her life, both onstage and in the everyday moments that defined her. Yet the role she cherished above all others was being a wife and mother. She treasured the life that she and her husband Tom built together, and her greatest joy was raising their three beloved children, Trice, Grace, and Witt. Motherhood was her most important work, and she poured her heart and soul into her family. With the same grace, humor, and determination that marked everything she did, Carla nurtured her children into the kind, loving, and accomplished young adults they are today, all three living testaments to the depth of her love.

Carla’s beauty and vivaciousness, especially her smile that could light up a room, was matched only by her extraordinary gifts as an actress and singer. Offstage, she was known for her quick wit, endearing sense of humor, and the ability to keep her friends laughing. She carried a rare combination of raw acting talent, a beautiful voice, and striking presence. Carla loved fashion and carried herself with effortless elegance.

Carla grew up in Fayette, Alabama, a place that gave her the foundation for a beautiful life. Even as a young girl, Carla was known for her singing, dancing, and acting talents, along with her vibrant, sassy personality. After graduating from Fayette County High School in 1986, she enrolled at the University of Alabama, where she joined Chi Omega sorority and became a Crimsonette. She cherished her years at Alabama, making lifelong friends and she never stopped cheering for her Crimson Tide.

Carla dearly loved Fayette, its warmth, her family, and the friends who gave her roots, but her dreams carried her further. So after earning a degree in Business from Alabama, she followed that calling to Washington, D.C., ready to embrace the city’s rhythm, to meet people whose paths she might never have crossed in Fayette, and to seize the opportunities to perform and to grow. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Tom Crawford, on a blind date that Tom loved to say never ended for the nearly 34 years they were together.

Tom and Carla settled in Alexandria, Virginia, where they raised their family and built a community of lifelong friends that were by her side to the end and continue to uplift the family in this difficult time. Carla poured her heart into supporting her children, whether cheering on the sidelines of the lacrosse field or tennis court, or volunteering at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School. Even while devoted to her family, she continued to nurture her acting career. Carla studied at the Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts in the Honors Acting Conservatory and at the Broadway Artists’ Alliance Professional Workshop. She earned leading roles in beloved musicals and dramas—including Gypsy Rose, Bridges of Madison County, Steel Magnolias, and Sweeney Todd. She also made television appearances, including a role in the final episode of Succession in 2023.

To say Carla squeezed a lifetime into her short 57 years is an understatement. She loved to travel and explored cultures across the globe, visiting the major continents and experiencing adventures on land and at sea. Always curious, Carla sought out people from all walks of life and delighted in the richness of their stories. She approached life with energy, joy, and an openness that inspired all who knew her.

Carla is survived by her devoted husband of over 30 years, Thomas Raymond Crawford of Alexandria, VA, and St. Simon’s Island, GA; her daughter Grace McLean Crawford of Arlington, VA; and her two sons, Trice Peterson Crawford of Dallas, TX, and Thomas Hewitt “Witt” Crawford of Drexel University. She is also survived by her loving parents, Judith and James “Harrell” Trice, Jr., of Fayette, AL; her brother, James Harrell “Jimmy” Trice III, and his wife Marsha, of Fayette, AL; her mother-in-law, Marilyn Wizer Crawford of Gaylord, MI; her sisters-in-law Rebecca Crawford Metzinger (Stephen), of New Orleans, LA; Sarah Crawford Grobbel (Matthew) of Aurora, CO; Kathleen Crawford Guerra (Aldo) of Phoenix, AZ; and many beloved relatives and friends who will forever cherish her memory.

Though her time on earth feels far too short, Carla’s spirit lives on in the love of her family, the laughter of her friends, and the countless lives she touched through her gifts. As the University of Alabama fight song says, ‘Hit your stride,’ and that is exactly how Carla lived, pouring her heart into every step of her journey. In her memory, Tom and the family have established the Carla Trice Crawford Memorial Scholarship at the Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts, ensuring that future generations of performers will be lifted by the same joy, determination, beauty and art that defined Carla’s life. In lieu of flowers, donations to this scholarship can be sent to:

Carla Trice Crawford Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts

900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001

Or at the following online link:

https://theatrelab.org/the-carla-trice-crawford-memorial-scholarship-fund/

The Crawford Family invites you to join them celebrating Carla’s life at a memorial service on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 11:00 am at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 South Pitt Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. A reception will be held immediately following the service at Belle Haven Country Club, 6023 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22307.

The family requests that attendees wear colorful attire in line with the spirit, joy and radiance Carla embodied.

Until we meet again in the presence of our Lord, we rejoice in knowing that Carla is now dancing, singing, and smiling in Heaven.