George Howard Crittenden

Age 69

Visitation will be Wednesday, July 2, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at St. Luke Catholic Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA. Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, July 3, at 2:00PM at St. Luke Catholic Church. Burial, with full military honors, will take place on Monday, November 17, 2014 at Arlington National Cemetery. A service at the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, VA, will preceded the burial at 12:45 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of George to the Matthew G. Crittenden Scholarship Fund, C/o Citadel Foundation, 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, SC 29409 or a charity of choice.

George Howard Crittenden is a native of Cuba, New York where he was born on 21 September 1944. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Albany College of Pharmacy in 1969 and a Master of Professional Study in Hospital and Health Services Administration from Cornell University.

George is survived by his loving wife Linda and their three children: Jonathan Edward (Crystal), of Washington, DC, Jennifer Lynn (Blake) of St. Johns, FL, and James Anthony Crittenden of Richmond, VA. Grandchildren include: Josephine Anne and Danielle May Crittenden, Camille Jane and Clara Lane Clark. George and Linda’s oldest son, Matthew George Crittenden, passed away on July 13th, 1995, ten days after suffering a brain aneurysm while on family vacation in Kinderhook, New York. Other survivors include three brothers: Carlton (Jennifer) Crittenden of Bridgeport, NY, William Crittenden of St. Cloud, FL, and Ron (Joan) Crittenden of Bryantown, MD, as well as ten nieces and nephews, and eleven grand nieces and nephews.

George was married to Linda Joyce Guerriero of the Coppola family from Schenectady, New York on July 12th, 1970. In 1973, after attaining a Master of Professional Study in Hospital and Health Services Administration from Cornell University, he began his naval career on December 19, 1973 as a Healthcare Administrator in the Medical Service Corps.

The Navy couples’ assignments and duty stations included Commanding Officer, Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland; Deputy Chief of Logistics, Fleet Hospital Program Manager, Naval Supply Systems Command Detachment, Fort Detrick, Maryland; Deputy Comptroller, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Washington, D.C.; Comptroller and Resource Department, Naval Healthcare Support Office, Norfolk, Virginia; Commanding Officer, 2nd Medical Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Executive Officer, Field Medical Services School, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Course Coordinator and Chief Instructor for the Fiscal and Supply Management Training Course, Naval School of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland; Outpatient Fiscal and Supply Officer, US Naval Regional Medical Center, Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines; Comptroller, Naval Aerospace and Regional Medical Center, Pensacola, Florida; and Administrator and Asst. Supply Officer, Navy Regional Medical, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Captain Crittenden’s personal naval decorations include two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals and the Fleet Marine Force Ribbon. Upon his retirement, Captain George Crittenden served as Professor of Naval Science from 2002 to 2007 at the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps at Suitland High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Throughout his Naval career, George also gave back to his church and the community by volunteering in many ways. For his church, both George and Linda, taught Religious Education classes and were Eucharistic Ministers. They were also weekend presenters for Worldwide Marriage Encounter in Florida and Virginia. These weekends touched countless couples and encouraged them to value their marriage to each other and God.

George’s volunteer service with the Boy Scouts spanned 28 years from 1985 to 2013. In the early days, he was Cubmaster and Pinewood Derby Coordinator for Pack 673 (Great Falls, VA), Merit Badge Counselor at Camp Lejeune, NC, Virginia Beach, VA and Great Falls, VA, Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 55 in Great Falls, VA, Unit Commissioner for Troop 55 and 673 (both in Great Falls, VA), and National Capital Area Council Coordinator for the Centennial Celebration which included a Centennial Parade in Washington, DC, Centennial Camporee at Goshen Scout Reservation in Goshen, VA and a Centennial display on the National Mall. He influenced many scouts to uphold the principles of honesty and integrity which are the values of the Boy Scout Oath and Law.

George was a man who lived and loved life to the fullest. For those of us who survive, family and friends alike, “Captain Critter” charges us to emulate his zest for life, and to always and forever find the humor in everything.

To our father, husband, brother, uncle, scout and friend we remember:

…Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference in your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word it always was. Let it be spoken without effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well. – Rosamunde Pilcher (September)

Arrangements under the direction of Murphy Falls Church Funeral Home, Falls Church, Virginia.