Dr. Marian Perry Crawford (Plainview)

Dr. Marian McDonald Perry Crawford passed away Monday March 31, 2008 following a brief illness. Her passing was peaceful with her family at her side. Marian was the daughter of Ross and Gladys McDonald and she was born in Lamesa, TX in 1938. She was 69. Her parents and family helped pioneer the ginning industry in Dawson County. She graduated from Lamesa High School in 1956 and attended North Texas State College (now U. of N. Texas) and obtained a B.A. in Music in 1960. At North Texas, she was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi, the Sigma Alpha Iota and the Kappa Delta Pi sororities. She went on to attend Florida State University, where she attained a M.A. in English in 1962. In 1962 she married William (Bill) Perry of Houston and travelled to North Africa, where Bill served with the Airforce and later was employed in the petroleum business. During this time period she served as a teacher, and she bore her two sons, Ross and Lee Perry. The family returned to the states in ca. 1970 and Marian continued serving as a teacher. Marian and Bill ended their marriage amicably in 1977. Beginning in 1980, Marian attended the University of Houston, where she obtained her Ed.D. in 1985 after researching the effects of instructional writing programs. After this, she worked with the State of Texas Region IV Educational Services where she was a teacher of teachers and designed student curricula. During the rest of her career, she made many contributions as an educator. She was an adjunct professor and taught classes for students at the University of Houston and the Texas Tech University. For two years, she was an assistant professor at the Steven F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. Also, she was an active member of National Council of Teachers of English, and the International Reading Association. In her semi-retirement, she taught courses at the Wayland Baptist University in West Texas. In the 1990s, Marian re-connected with her high-school friend, Dr. Felix Crawford. They married in 1993 and his children, Christy and Boyd, became part of her family. Felix passed away in January of 2007. Marian’s life was filled with literature and music, which she generously shared with countless students and her family. Her personality was effusively positive, contagious and we will deeply miss her. She is survived by her son Ross, son Lee and his wife Beth, stepdaughter Christy and her husband Eric Grey, and stepson Boyd and wife April. In lieu of flowers, the family request contributions be sent to the Dr. Marian Perry Crawford Scholarship Fund at the University of Houston, 400 East Cullen Bldg., Houston, TX, 77204-2013. Funeral services are scheduled at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, April 3, 2008 at the First Christian Church in Plainview, Texas with Interim pastor Dr. Max Browning officiating. Graveside funeral services will be held at 4:00 P.M. Thursday at Lamesa Memorial Park with Rev. Don Stripling, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Lamesa officiating. A visitation will be held on Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Kornerstone Funeral Directors.