Carl R. Crawford

West Asheville - Carl Robert Crawford, 81, of 136 Vermont Ave. died Thursday October 4, 2001 at Aston Park Health Care Center after a long illness. A native of Jackson County, he had resided in Buncombe county since 1959. He retired in 1982 from Apple Tree Chevrolet after 23 years of service and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was a member of Inanda Baptist Church where he was a Deacon and former S.S. teacher. He was a WW II veteran of the U.S. Army having served as a combat infantrymen with the 30th Infantry Division. His military campaigns include Normandy, Northern France, Germany and the Battle of the Bulge, of which he received 4 battle stars and was awarded 2 Bronze Stars for valor and a Presidential Unit Citation. He was a son of the late John Robert and Bertha Smathers Crawford and was also preceded in death by 2 sisters, Julia Crawford and Love Crawford and a brother, Arthur Crawford. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Lib Sharpe Crawford of the home; son, Cecil Crawford and wife Gail of Candler; daughter, Sharon Crawford of San Francisco, Ca.; step granddaughter, Christen Laughlin; sisters, Arlene Knight and husband William B. of Balsam and Edith Corbin of Waynesville; Brother, Billy A. Crawford and wife Verna of Balsam and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M. Sunday at Anders-Rice Funeral Home with his son, Cecil D. Crawford, Rev. Kevin Bennett and Rev. Bill Nelson officiating. Entombment will be in Forest Lawn Memorial Park with military rites conducted by personnel from Ft. Bragg. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Chrisman, Dennis Fisher, Donnie Parris, Richard Burns, Frank Lundholm, Don Sims, Hacky Andon and Dr. IL Sung Lee. The family will receive friends from 2 to 3:00 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Alzheimers Assoc. W.N.C. Chapter, 3 Louisiana Ave., Asheville, N.C. 28806. The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Aston Park Health Care Center for their love, care and compassion to our loved one.