William Walter "Bill" Crowder

Friday, October 14, 2016

William Walter "Bill" Crowder, 81, of Blytheville, passed from this life Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, at the NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro. Born in Dell, he was the son of the late Charles H. and Margaret Gray Crowder and was a lifelong Blytheville resident. He attended Blytheville High School and later served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Bill was a career firefighter, he served many years with the Blytheville Fire Department and later with Eaker Air Force Base as a civil service firefighter. He had also worked as a safety officer for Kelly Electric in Kennett, Mo. In years past, Bill had served as a reserve deputy sheriff for Mississippi County and as a jailer for the Arkansas Department of Corrections. He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Blytheville. Bill loved camping and fishing, but most of all spending time with his grandchildren.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ira and Laura Gray, and Will and Elma Crowder, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, W.E. and Alma Golden.

Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Gwen Golden Crowder of the home; one son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Lucy Crowder of Blytheville; one daughter, Dana Carson of Morrilton; one brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Betty Crowder of Memphis. He also leaves five grandchildren; William Britten Crowder, Katie Price, Kathleen Crowder, Charles Blake Elliott, Briah Lewis, and five great-grandchildren, Brittany Crowder, Bradley Crowder, Jacob Crowder, Maria Crowder and Ryan Price.

Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, at the Howard Funeral Service Chapel in Manila with Dr. Tommy Carney officiating. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery in Blytheville.

The family will receive visitors Sunday evening from 6-8 at the funeral home in Manila.

Guest register: www.HowardFuneralService.com