April 29, 1949-January 22, 2022
It is with great sadness and abundant hope that we announce the passing of John Henry Crouch at home in Olney, Maryland on Saturday, January 22, 2022.
The second son of the late Charles Conrad and Dorothy Spratt Crouch, John was born April 29, 1949 and raised in Hickory, North Carolina. A love for science and reading began in early boyhood. As a teenager, John traveled with his brother to the Boy Scout World Jamboree held in 1963 in Greece. He always considered this trip to be a major highlight of his youth.
John earned the Eagle Scout Award as well as his Ham Radio license, which turned into a lifelong hobby. After graduating from Hickory High School in 1967, John studied physics and then meteorology at North Carolina State University. In later years, he also earned a second master’s degree in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The great love and passion of his life, however, was the study of the Bible and the Biblical languages; Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. As a young man, he took a class which showed that the Bible is the revealed word and will of God. This great truth settled deeply in his heart and guided his steps for the rest of his life. He spent his clothing allowance on research books and dove deeply into Biblical studies at the same time he was studying the sciences he loved. He had a gift for teaching and became known for his ability to convey complex subjects simply. He especially loved to teach about astronomy as related to the birth of Jesus Christ and his own specialty, figures of speech in the book of Ephesians.
Job changes and opportunities for ministry took him all over the country during the 1970s. He spent time in Kansas, Colorado, Maine, and Ohio, where he met and married his wife, Gervais, on September 12, 1981. After a brief sojourn in California, he and Gervais raised their children in Carrboro, North Carolina, and then moved to Maryland in 2005. Even after all these moves, John never lost his Southern accent.
All those who knew and loved John will remember his knowledge of the Scriptures and his ability to teach what he knew with loving conviction. In addition, he was also known for his kindness, humility, gentle sense of humor, and love for others. Above all, he was committed to sharing the gospel from the Scriptures he loved so much. He will be greatly missed by family and friends alike.
John is survived by his wife of 40 years, Gervais Crouch of Olney, Maryland; his daughter Pauline (Alex) Bender of Westminster, Maryland; his son Robert Crouch of Olney, Maryland; two grandchildren, Cordelia Bender and William Bender; his brother Charles Crouch (Linda Belawich) of Paris, France; his sister Virginia Slack of Elkview, West Virginia; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nephews, and cousins.
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at Gary L. Kaufman Funeral Home at Meadowridge Memorial Park, Inc. 7250 Washington Blvd., Elkridge, Maryland 21075 (Exit 6 South off Route 100) on Friday, February 11, 2022 at 11:00am. Inurnment Private.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.garylkaufmanfuneralhome.com for the Crouch family.
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