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Community Corner

Kate Crawford Left Us

Kate Marshall Abernethy Crawford    

10/16/37-1/30/14                                                      

 

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Kate Crawford, beloved mother, wife, teacher, and friend, passed from this life on Jan. 30, 2014, surrounded by her family. The only child of Katherine Sibley Abernethy  and Hugh Alston Abernethy, Kate Marshall Abernethy was born in Birmingham, Alabama. When her family relocated to Los Angeles, she attended Marlborough School for Girls, where she made many lifelong friends. After her graduation in 1955, Kate matriculated to University of California, Berkeley, where she was a Kappa Kappa Gamma. She received her BA in History in 1959. At Cal she met the love of her life, fellow student William McNeil Crawford, who predeceased her in 2008.

Kate and Bill were married in 1959 and their loving union produced four children, all of whom survive her: William McNeil Crawford Jr., known as Neil (Betsy); Hugh (Wendy); Katherine (Ric Koller); and Sarah (Kieran King). She delighted in her seven grandchildren: Lauren, Marshall, Taylor, Colton, Hope, Kate and Jack. She is deeply missed by all, including her latest canine companion, Mally.

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Elegant and gracious, Kate enriched the lives of many from her home in Piedmont, where she lived for 50 years. While raising her children, Kate also ran two dialysis centers.  In her lifelong commitment to community service, Kate was a tireless and ardent volunteer with many organizations including the Junior League, the Episcopal Church and Clausen House.

Deeply faithful, Kate was a devoted congregant of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakland, where she served on the St. Paul’s Vestry. She was proud of the spiritual strength and social evolution of her church, and reveled in the diversity and richness of her parish family.

After her children were grown, Kate returned to college to obtain a special education credential and a Masters in Special Education from Holy Names University. She was a nurturing, dedicated teacher and resource specialist at Chipman Middle School in Alameda for 15 years.   

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 114 Montecito Ave., Oakland, CA. Reception will follow in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, Kate requested donations to St. Dorothy’s Rest Campership Fund, P.O. Box B, Camp Meeker, CA, 95419 or St. Paul's Episcopal Church
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