Surrounded by his family, Mr. John Fulton Crowson Jr., lovingly known as “Skip” to family and friends and “Pop Pop” to his grandsons, passed away early Monday morning, July 27, at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
John’s life was one defined by love, loyalty, service, and an extraordinary ability to see the good in people.
Born in Lowell, Mass., John was the son of John Fulton Crowson Sr. and Alma Ruth Crowson (née Norton). He grew up in Petersham, Mass., and graduated from R.C. Mahar Regional High School in 1966. He continued his education at Plymouth State College and Fitchburg State University.
Long before the Eastern Shore became his home, it had captured his heart.
As a young boy, John traveled to Parksley and fell in love with the Eastern Shore. Even then, he decided that someday he wanted to return, drive a blue car, and become a teacher and coach there.
And that is exactly what he did.
John devoted nearly four decades of his life to education, teaching and coaching in New Hampshire and on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. To generations of students and athletes, he was more than a teacher or coach. He was an encourager, a mentor, and someone who believed in people — sometimes before they believed in themselves.
Teaching was not simply John’s profession. It was part of who he was.
But the greatest love of John’s life was his family.
He fell in love with Martha, whom he met at church, and together they built a marriage that spanned 55 years. Through all of life’s seasons, John remained a devoted husband, father, and provider whose family was at the center of his world.
He was the loving father of Shannon Crowson and Kristin Aigner, father-in-law to Kristin’s husband, Joseph, and the deeply loved Pop Pop of Liam and Kullen.
To his grandsons, he was far more than a grandfather. He was Pop Pop — a source of love, laughter, stories, encouragement, and memories that will remain with them throughout their lives.
John was also a devoted brother to his two dear sisters, Patty Crowson of Athol, Mass., and Jeannie Suggs and her husband, Gilbert, of Climax, N.C. He was a beloved uncle to Keith Suggs, Kim Suggs Dunn, and Macy Clark.
John was predeceased by his parents, John Fulton Crowson Sr. and Alma Ruth Crowson (née Norton).
Throughout his life, John remained a Boy Scout at heart and an enthusiastic — and unapologetically devoted — fan of the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, and Boston Bruins.
Those who knew John will remember something even greater than the places he lived, the teams he coached, or the subjects he taught.
They will remember the way he treated people.
John had a remarkable ability to see the good in others. He was generous with what he had and would quite literally give someone the shirt off his back. He believed in helping people. He believed in giving people a chance. And he left countless lives better simply because he had been part of them.
His family hopes John knew just how deeply he was loved, how greatly he was respected, and how many lives were changed because he was here.
A teacher. A coach. A husband. A father. A brother. An uncle. And, perhaps most treasured of all, a Pop Pop.
John Fulton Crowson Jr. built his life around the people he loved and the community he chose as his home. His absence leaves an immeasurable void in the hearts of those who loved him, but the lessons he taught, the kindness he gave, the family he built, and the lives he touched will carry his memory forward.
He will be loved, remembered, and missed beyond measure.
Services are pending and will be announced when scheduled.
Memory tributes may be shared at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com
Arrangements are by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.
