Derrick Crawford

Derrick Crawford, age 59 of Union Springs, AL passed away on July 20, 2019; visitation will be Friday, July 26, 2019 4-6 PM at Allen Funeral Home, Union Springs, AL; funeral service will held on Saturday, July 27, 2019 1:00 PM at the First Baptist Church, Union Springs, AL; burial will be follow at the Jones Chapel Church Cemetery.

Hey y’all, excuse me for not standing up. I appreciate you all for being here. I know all of you are accustomed to me speaking at all funerals, but this one is special and today I wanted to tell y’all my story.  
 
I was born late spring on June 8, 1960, the youngest child and son to the late Lovie D. Crawford and Gladys McGowan Crawford. I gave my life to Christ at a very young age (after all, I didn’t have a choice}. I was educated (somewhat) in the Bullock County school system where I claimed my title as the best basketball player in the region with the Bullock County Technical Rams.

Not long after that on September 22, 1986, while united with Juanita, we welcomed our son and on that day, I was blessed with the most precious gift and the pride of my life, Derjuan Marquis Crawford. God always gives us what we need, and I only needed the one son. While growing up, Derjaun and I would do some of my favorite things together like fishing at Billy Young’s   and playing pool. As a matter of fact, I had to let him beat me the last few times we played, or we would be still playing at this very moment. You always made me proud but the most was when you presented to me, Katalyn Elizabeth and Ja’Cobi Zyketyh, I am counting of you “Haus”, to take good care of my grandbabies! I know you will.
 
I earned my reputation as a jokester at an early age. You see, as the youngest sibling of a host of brothers of sisters, I had to have a strong presence. I may have played a few harmless jokes on the school bus driver by playing sick on the way home a time or two, but hey, I still graduated at the top of the class! 
 
Over the years, I spent a lot of my time in different places, making life-long relationships with a lot of you. You know? Some I met down at “the Spot “ and travelling with the Spot Dogs.  I lived in several places: Birmingham, Detroit, and covered many miles across country with the Bonnie Plant Farm. Most recently, I spent time in Decatur, IL with my beloved sister, Deborah, who never forgets, or let me forget, that she is older than me (although I raised her). But I never spent too much time away from home, y’all know me “country as a pair of cowboy boots”.  
 
Most of you know that it didn’t take much for me to have a good time. A little Johnny Taylor or Mary J. Blige and a listening ear or a fishing pole and I had a party.  
 
I will forever be fond of the memories I have shared over the years with all of you.  
 
As I depart from this place we call ‘life’, I leave behind my tribe. To my siblings, you know I could not have made it without you!  My two big brothers: Fred; “Bubba” {Shirley), and the one who thought he was my daddy, Quevis Crawford Sr., affectionately known as “Chuck”(Joann), beat me home to heaven in September 2017. I suppose that was enough time for him to get to Madea and Daddy before me to tell them what I had been up to all these years. To my brothers: Genoris Crawford (Barbara), Lovie D. Crawford Jr. (Minnie), Lorfonza Crawford (Donzetta) I want you to have peace in knowing that I am okay, and you no longer have to worry about me. To my beloved sisters: Annie Pearl Hackett, Ann Gosha (Shelly) Cynthia Jackson (Stanley) and Deborah Bursey (Samuel) thank you and I hope you will forever feel my love and hear my voice saying “I love you, honey”. For my sister and brother cousins, thank you for “good looking out” for me.  To my troop of nieces and nephews who I love dearly always remember “If it is to be, it is up to me”.
  
“I live the life I love and love the life I live”  
Derrick Crawford

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