William James Crawford of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin rose to Eternal Life in his home surrounded by members of his family on April 11, 2021 at the age of 94. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois on September 5, 1926, the son of Fred and Mary Crawford.
William spent his childhood in Chicago, Illinois playing various sports with his neighborhood friends and continued to play football at Lindblom High School. William, his parents, and his two brothers would spend their summers building and repairing their vacation home in Palisades Park on Lake Michigan. He and his brothers would work for much of the day and then spend their spare time playing football and running on the beach as well as swimming in Lake Michigan.
William was drafted into the Army on May 6, 1945 and sent to train in the US Combat Infantry Training Program in Little Rock, Arkansas. After his training he was stationed at Yokohama, Japan where he joined the 82nd Airborne and was assigned to be a mechanic in the Motor Pool. When the 82nd Airborne was replaced by the 11th Airborne, William decided to become a paratrooper for the Army. He was promoted through the ranks quickly and finished his Army career as a Master Sergeant on January 1, 1947 before returning to Chicago.
After WWII, William attended Texas Western College of The University of Texas in El Paso, Texas on a football scholarship and majored in Geology with a minor in Chemistry. William was an oil and gas man after college and his first job was logging wild cat wells with Rotary Engineers in Midland, Texas for 2.5 yrs. William then moved back to Chicago and joined Shell Oil Company as a salesman in August 1956. During his 39 year career with Shell Oil Company, he held several positions including salesman, distribution operator, foreman, distribution plant supervisor, aviation fueling facility designer, plant superintendent, and assistant plant manager. This required him to move his family from Lincolnshire, Illinois to Bettendorf, Iowa and then to Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He ended his career with Shell as a senior hydrogeologist ground water expert on January 1, 1995 after moving fifteen years earlier to Spring, Texas.
William married Joanne Juanita Crawford on Nov 6, 1965 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. William and Joanne were blessed with 3 children and 5 grandchildren. After William’s retirement from Shell, he and his wife built their dream home on Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin and enjoyed all the memories they shared together in their lovely home. William was a dedicated husband and father, the strength and rock of his family, and he was filled with unconditional love for family and friends. He was both gentle and caring, and his smile and humor were contagious.
William is survived by his children Douglas Francis (and Kimbra) Crawford, William Scott Crawford, and Mary Elisabeth (and Kenneth) Saindon and 5 grandchildren Caroline Julia, Audrey Elise, and Charlotte Emily Crawford, Kelly Elisabeth Saindon, and Alexander James Saindon.
William is preceded in death by his wife, Joanne Juanita Crawford of 53+ years of marriage, his mother Mary Florence Crawford (nee Clements), his father Fred Robert Crawford, and his two brothers Robert Fred Crawford and John Clements Crawford.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 AM until the time of funeral service at 12:00 PM on Friday, April 30th, 2021 at Kettle Moraine Presbyterian Church, N66 W32690 County Hwy K, Hartland, Wisconsin with full Military Honors. Burial will be held at St. Mary’s Visitation Parish Cemetery in Elm Grove, Wisconsin following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials in William’s name may be made to Kettle Moraine Presbyterian Church at N66 W32690 County Hwy K, Hartland, Wisconsin 53029.
