Bill Crow

Bill Crow, cherished husband, and adored father and grandfather went home to the Lord Tuesday morning, November 8, 2016, engulfed by the love of his family.  His parents named him Charles William Crow, after his father and grandfather, on September 27, 1936, in Twin Falls, Idaho, but since he and his father shared the same first name, everyone knew him as Bill.  The name Bill Crow was a name that commanded respect, because he was a man of character and integrity, honest and true to his word.  He was a gentleman, as his parents raised him to be, and there are few men like him left in the world today.  He was a family man to the core, driven always to provide and protect, who motivated his family to be the very best they could be.

Bill was a mischievous little boy who put to work his natural business instincts to earn money in all sorts of creative ways for funding his activities, but more importantly, his desire to replace his latest set of “wheels” with something better, ranging from scooters, to motorcycles, to cars.  Cars and driving were a lifetime love for Bill, but he also enjoyed sports as a boy, especially baseball, and downhill skiing.  Bill’s early years coincided with WWII, which greatly affected how he and his parents and younger brother, Terry, lived.  His mother lost her eyesight during Bill’s childhood, and he was a kind, respectful son who helped his mother with such tender care, it was a sight to behold.

As a teenager, Bill worked at many jobs, but the ones mentioned the most were assisting Joe Clements in announcing the Cowboys baseball games on the radio, and working for Morey Roth at Beck’s Shoe Store in downtown Twin Falls.  After Bill and his classmates, the Class of 1954, claimed the honor of becoming the first graduates from the newly completed Twin Falls High School, he attended Idaho State University for a year, and then began working at his father’s business, Intermountain Bean Company.  Charles required his son to learn the business from the ground up, so Bill performed every job in the company at some point, but eventually convinced his dad to add a garden bean division to their business, which quickly became the most profitable part of their company under Bill’s management.  The relationship between Bill and his dad was very close, and working together on a daily basis with a common goal only strengthened that relationship.  A creative man, Bill was always thinking of ways to improve any and all things, including Intermountain Bean, making him a successful “seedsman,” as he called it, working locally with growers, internationally with customers, while managing his dedicated employees, many of whom were like extended family.

As a young man, Bill served in the Air National Guard, and during that time survived a plane crash while being transported to Texas with his fellow reserves for training, sustaining injuries that would affect him later in life, and leaving him with a strong distaste for air travel.

Also during this time, Bill was pursuing his next set of wheels, an Austin-Healey, to be purchased in California while staying with friends.  His future mother-in-law spied the handsome guest, and promptly went over to ask her neighbors if one of them would mind picking up her daughter from school.  Bill, always the gentleman, volunteered for the job, and the rest is history!  Bill was smitten with Kathleen D. Thornton, prompting him to begin a long distance love affair with Kathy from Idaho.  The two finally celebrated living in one location after their marriage in San Francisco on May 6, 1961, where their commitment led them to fifty-five years of loving each other as husband and wife.  Bill proudly brought his bride to Twin Falls, Idaho, where they lived their entire marriage, and soon started a family. 

God blessed them with three daughters to raise—Cindy, Tammy, and Suzanne.  Bill poured his heart and soul into being a good husband and father, and either spent his time with his family on vacations, cheering his daughters in their activities and even coaching them, playing games with them and encouraging them, or working to provide so generously for their every need, and financing their dreams as well.  He was instrumental in his daughters’ achievements of three State Championships in cross country and track, and was very proud of attending as their coach a week of training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Although it became increasingly difficult as his daughters got older, Bill squeezed in time to coach a boys Little League Baseball team for a few years, and enjoyed playing golf.  Bill and Kathy, along with another couple, were the longest living members of Blue Lakes Country Club at the time of Bill’s death, which was important to him since his father had been a charter member and ground-breaking participant at its inception.  Bill liked to remodel his home and yard, was a collector—especially of sports memorabilia, was a fan of most sports—especially  the Utah Jazz, enjoyed boating and traveling, was an avid reader, and knowledgeable stock investor.

In 2001, Bill was dubbed a miracle man by winning a battle with Stage IV lung cancer, a battle he was not prognosed to win.  This changed Bill’s life, because it forced him to sell his business and retire, something else he was not prognosed to do!  This allowed Bill and Kathy the freedom to really enjoy spending time together, and they made the most of this special time with all sorts of adventures traveling, golfing, working in the yard together, and just enjoying each other, while at the same time cheering on and supporting their daughters and sons-in-law, Jim and Nick, and now the grandchildren that had also entered their lives—Kacie, Danielle, Jacqueline, and Abby.  Grandpa and Grandma were devoted fans at as many of the grandchildrens’ activities as they could possibly attend, surrounded them with their love, and encouraged them in pursuing their dreams.  Bill and Kathy’s love for each other cannot be overstated, as well as their love for their family, and serves as a precious example of what God intended marriage and family to be.  Even the last moments of Bill’s life were spent expressing his love and concern for Kath, his buddy.

Bill Crow was the respected and loved patriarch of our family, and is already sorely missed, but will be held dear to our hearts and memories, until we meet again.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Edlin Crow; his brothers Robert Edwin, and Terry Jesse, and his daughter Mary Ann.  He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Kathleen Denise Thornton Crow, his daughters Cindy (Jim) Bitzenburg, Tammy (Nick) Sewell, and Suzanne Crow; and his granddaughters Kacie and Abby Bitzenburg, and Danielle and Jacqueline Sewell.

Donations may be made in Bill’s name to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, or the East End Providers.

Arrangements are being made by Parke’s Funeral Home where Bill’s memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 12, 2016, followed by internment at Sunset Memorial Park.