Dr. Dewitt Grey Crawford died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday evening, January 17, 2016, at the Winston County Medical Nursing Home in Louisville. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 20th, at 2:00 P.M. at First United Methodist Church, with Rev. Mike Childs officiating. Visitation will be held Tuesday from 4:00 until 7:00 P.M. at Porter Funeral Home. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.
He was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, May 5, 1935, to Dr. John Albert Crawford, Sr. and Louise Beaman Crawford, who both preceded him in death. Dr. Dewitt, as he was often called, had a lingering illness of Pancreatic Cancer.
He moved to Louisville when he was five years old, attended school and graduated with honors. While in school, he played football, was in the band, was a member of the Glee Club, as well as the choir at the First United Methodist Church, and was also known for his singing, playing the saxophone and clarinet in the local band, “Oakley Sharp and the Sharpshooters.”
Dr. Crawford attended Georgia Tech for three quarters in Mechanical Engineering, but left there for the University of Mississippi and medicine. He entered the School of Medicine in 1956 and was a member of the second four year class to graduate. While in the School of Medicine, he partnered with Dr. Arthur Guyton, head of the Department of Physiology, in heart research, in which their work was published in the American Journal of Physiology. A rotating one year internship awaited him at John Gaston Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. Dewitt returned to Louisville to enter the practice of Family Medicine with his father, Dr. John Albert Crawford, Sr. at the Medical-Surgical Clinic on East Main Street. During the years of his practice, he did Locum Tenens, for Rush Medical Clinics, was a Staff Physician and Treasurer for a charitable clinic, Cornerstone Clinic in Louisville, was co-owner of Bee Hive Assisted Living Facilities in Louisville, Carthage, Newton, Marion and Forest and was a Board member of the Winston Medical Center.
His past positions in medicine are: Past President of the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, Physician of IOP Laird Hospital; Member of the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure for 12 years, Delegate and Member to the Federation of State Medical Boards; President of the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure, Member of the Mississippi Board of Nursing, Family Practice and Consultant for the Winston County Rural Health Clinic; President of East Mississippi Medical Society and Member of the Prairie Medical Society – where Dr. Crawford served as Board of Trustee Secretary, Chair of Council on Budget and Finance, and a Member of the Nominating Committee. Dr. Crawford was active in the Mississippi Health Care Association for Nursing Homes. He and his father opened Tri-County Nursing Home in 1972, where he served as Medical Director and Associate Administrator. He was an Aviation Medical Examiner and Company Physician for Georgia Pacific, Spartus Corporation, Angelical Uniforms, TRW and Medical Director of Operation Head Start. He was a Chief of Staff of the Winston County Hospital and Nursing Home.
Dr. Dewitt has received the Mississippi Heart Association 20 year Service Recognition Award, The John B. Howell Memorial Award as the Mississippi Family Physician of the Year, Mississippi Academy of Family Physician President’s Award for two years, Wesley Head Start Outstanding Service Award, Louisville-Winston County Man of the Year Award, and the Boy Scouts of America, Recognition and Service Award.
His professional Associations were Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, Southern Medical Association, Prairie and East Mississippi Medical Societies, University of Mississippi Guardian Society, Mississippi State Medical Association and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Crawford loved his community. He played golf at the Louisville Country Club and served as its President, was President of the Louisville Winston County Education Foundation and a member of the Louisville Rotary Club. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church where he was a Lay Leader, Past President of the Administration Board, Men’s Chorus Founder and Director for 25 years, past director of the Chancel Choir which he joined at age 16, Past Chairman of the Finance Committee/Long-Range Planning Committee and CLC Building Finance Committee. He was a member of the Red Hills Art Association and in the beginning of his work, was a member of the Little Theater.
Dr. Crawford was a Battalion Surgeon for the Mississippi Army National Guard for 6 years. He made two mission trips as a physician and worker. One trip was to Mexico, where a house was built for a family and another mission trip was to Honduras where he had the special pleasure of saving the life of a two year old boy.
His interest lay in computers, golf, music, lawn/garden and traveling. In his traveling expeditions, Dr. Dewitt took every mode of transportation, from trains to his favorite RV! Even after the diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer and during his chemo treatments, he was often seen driving around on his lawn mower mowing the grass!
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Peggy Woodward Crawford; 3 daughters, Elizabeth (Gary) Weingarden of Plano, TX, Jean (John) Monroe of Raleigh, NC and Robin Arnold of Atlanta, GA; 6 grandchildren, Paul (Caitlin) Monroe of Raleigh, NC, Grey (Kelen) Monroe of Fort Collins, CO, Garrett Arnold of Atlanta, GA, McKenna Arnold of Atlanta, GA and Rachel Weingarden of Plano, TX and Michael Weingarden of Plano, TX. Granddaddy is also survived by 2 great grandchildren, Hatch Monroe and Kimberly Monroe, both from Raleigh, NC.
Memorials may be given to the First United Methodist Church, Louisville, Mississippi, Choral Program.
To sign the online guest register, please visit www.porterfuneralhome.net
