John Richard Crawley, 86
Dateline: Mansfield, MA
John Richard Crawley, age 86, a resident of the Village at Willow Crossings in Mansfield, formerly of Medfield, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 25, 2019 at the MetroWest Medical Center-Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick. He was the beloved husband of Alice M. (McLaughlin) Crawley, to whom he was wed for fifty-nine years.
Born in Providence, Rhode Island on April 6, 1933, he was a loving son of the late William and Katherine (Hunt) Crawley.
John grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island. He was a graduate of Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, Providence College and during the Korean War, he proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army. He was honorably discharged on September 10, 1957 with the rank of First Lieutenant.
Mr. Crawley taught Biology and Chemistry at East Providence High School, received his master’s degree in education at Rhode Island College and served as vice-principal at Spring Valley High School in New York. For many years, he served as a School Administrator for the Needham Public School System and his final years, before retiring, were spent as Principal of the Brooks Middle School in Lincoln, MA.
John had made his home in Mansfield for the past three and a half years and was a communicant of Saint Mary’s Church in Mansfield. He was a former forty-seven-year resident of Medfield and was a longtime parishioner of Saint Edward the Confessor Church in Medfield.
Mr. Crawley’s favorite times were those spent amongst his adoring family and close friends. He enjoyed gardening, studying German, attending lectures, a pursuit of lifelong learning and was ever so proud of his Irish heritage.
In addition to his beloved wife, he is survived by his devoted children: Kevin M. Crawley of Norton, Karen M. Kearney and her husband Tomas of County Cork, Ireland and Erin P. Crawley of Arlington, VA. He was the cherished grandfather of Jonathan, Fionn, Brian and Liam and the great grandfather of Stella. He was the dear brother of Katherine Baglini of Cumberland, RI and Marian Barden of Greeneville, RI.
His funeral Mass, to which relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend, will be celebrated on Saturday, August 31st at 11:00 A.M. in Saint Mary’s Church, 330 Pratt St. (Route 106) Mansfield. Burial will follow at Vine Lake Cemetery in Medfield.
Visiting hours are omitted and in lieu of flowers, the Crawley family has requested that contributions in John’s memory be made to the Community Visiting Nurse Agency, Inc., 10 Emory St., Attleboro, MA 02703.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of the Sherman & Jackson Funeral Home, 55 North Main St., Mansfield.
To send his family a message of condolence, please visit www.shermanjackson.com