Crawford, Olive Maxine

Olive Maxine Crawford - age: 99
(May 01, 1920 to September 24, 2019 )
Resident of Ukiah, California

Obituary:
Olive Maxine Crawford was born in San Francisco on May 1st 1920; she passed away September 24th 2019 at Ukiah Post Acute care facility. At the time of her passing she was surrounded by nursing staff at UPA giving her comfort and love. This passage to a place of peace was not a tragedy; it was a reward for 99 years of honorable life marked by compassion and modesty – no more discomforts, no more worries.
Olive’s life was one from a page of Americana. Raised on her parent’s farm, she walked with her friends to schools in Hopland her entire childhood. She graduated from Hopland High School in 1937, concluding her final year by marching across the Golden Gate at its grand opening as a drum majorette with the high school band.
On September 1st 1937 Olive married a Ukiah farm boy, Don C. Crawford, and began a life that saw adventures on the back of a Harley-Davidson; to the birth of her only child, a son, October 8th 1943; to co-living in a small san Francisco apartment with Don, one of her best Hopland friends Marie Singer, her husband Cliff, and their respective baby boys. After World War II, Olive, Don, and son lived in a small cottage on one of the large Crawford ranches midway between Ukiah and Hopland. Soon Don took an opportunity to study photography under renowned master photographer William Mortensen in Laguna Beach, California. Olive and son moved with him.
In 1948 Don and Olive opened a photography studio on West Church Street in Ukiah. Olive was an active partner in the studio and, side by side, they fulfilled almost all of the school, commercial, and family photographic needs of the entire Ukiah area. The studio closed in 1968. Olive began a career at J.C. Penny at the downtown store and retired twenty years later form its current Ukiah location.
At that point her life became one of modest retirement. While working in the studio she had joined the Ukiah Women’s Golf Club and played avidly; but with her job at Penny’s she gradually gave up golf. Olive enjoyed lunches with her friends. She was a crossword puzzle whiz and if you knocked on her door, chances are she put down a crossword puzzle to greet you.
Olive was strong and fortunate enough to live most of her adult life from 1947 into her 98th year in her home on North Main. Throughout her entire life she put everyone’s needs above her own. She desperately loved her family and friends; but her compassion was limitless. Children of the neighborhood crossed her door’s threshold continuously always rewarded with her cookies and her warmth. Olive was a tireless advocate for people and animals; she had no enemies.
Olive was preceded in passing by her: father and mother, Ernest and Helene Leek; husband, Donald C. Crawford; sister and brother-in-law, Eleanor and George McDowell; broher and sister-in-law, Charles and Ruby leek; beloved father-in-law John Curtis Crawford; and, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jean and Rodney “Ty” Tyree. She is survived by her: son and daughter-in-law Don and Diane Crawford; granddaughter Aimee Myers, Aimee’s husband, Fredrick; great granddaughter, Olivia Parker; good friends, Joan Daniels and Barbara Gallegos; nieces and nephews (all of whom she loved deeply).
The family is forever grateful to all who have cared for Olive as friends and as professionals with special gratitude to Dr. Teran, UVMC, the entire staff of UPA her resident friends at UPA and Eversole Mortuary.
Eversole Mortuary is in charge of Olive’s final affaires. After her request there will be no services. No flower please; instead, if you wish, to donate in the name of Olive Crawford to the children’s hospital or animal advocacy of your choice.