Nick was born in Rockford, IL on August 2, 1978, to Gary and Cheryl (Berner) Crossland. He grew up in Muskogee, OK with his parents and two brothers, Jarrett and Thomas Erich. He graduated from Muskogee High School and then attended Northeastern State University where he went on to receive a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.
Nick grew up helping his family care for his disabled brother and even devised a special means of communicating with him. The two shared a special bond which not surprisingly led him to pursue a career helping pediatric patients with language barriers.
For fifteen years Nick worked tirelessly to make a difference in his patients’ lives at Our Children’s House at Baylor, then KidsCare Home Health and finally at First Steps Pediatrics. It was at First Steps Pediatrics that he was able to share his passion and expertise to mentor and train other speech language pathologists.
In 2017 Nick went through the RCIA program at St. Thomas Aquinas and was initiated into the Catholic Church. He was a member of Knights of Columbus, The American Speech Language Hearing Association, High Adventure Treks and Adventure Guides which was one of his most loved and fulfilling experiences raising two daughters.
Nick will be remembered as a devoted husband and father, who loved to teach his girls the importance of spending time in nature. Not only did they visit many national parks, Nick and Sarah turned their backyard into an urban oasis and secret garden for the girls. Although he was a humble man of few words, he was a good friend who loved to laugh and was known for his clever wit. Nick’s attentiveness to his family in the one on one moments is where his thoughtfulness and ingenuity were unmatched. And even though he was a bit shy, he adored Sarah and went along with her costume choices for Halloween and school fundraisers.
He is survived by his wife of fifteen years, Sarah McNeil Crossland and his two daughters, Nora and Josey; his parents, Gary and Cheryl Crossland; his brother, Thomas Erich Crossland and numerous extended family members.
He is preceded in death by his brother, Jarrett Crossland and grandmother, Gloria Berner-Hellen.
A memorial mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, December 7 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas.
Honorary Pallbearers are Gary Crossland, Edd McNeil, Thomas Erich Crossland, Todd Baker, RJ Cree, Matt Sidhom, Bryan Winkler, Jason Dinsmore and John Marrs.
In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting the medical professionals who supported Nick and his family in their time of greatest need. https://gofund.me/a9600306
