October 7, 1925-December 13, 2025
William N. Crawford (Bill) died on December 13, 2025 at the age of 100. He was born in Pittsburgh, PA on October 7, 1925, the son of William N. Crawford, Sr. and Clara Bauer Crawford, his loving parents. His father was a fourth-generation steelworker, and his mother was raised on a farm in Pennsylvania. Bill received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant as a Bombardier/Navigator, Army Air Corps at the end of World War II. He met Jeannette (Jean) Satterfield at Spencer Methodist Church, and they married there immediately after he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in Petroleum Engineering in 1948.
They lived in many US states and six continents pursuing drilling operations for Chevron Oil Company. Upon his early retirement he started a consulting business with Joe Beall called Triton Engineering based in Houston. Bill and Jean were always active in local churches and often served as youth counsellors. Their pastor once introduced them as Christian missionaries paid by the oil industry. They retired in Houston in 1995 and later moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina. In 2003 they returned to Texas to live in Friendswood to be near family. Bill and Jean were married for 74 years. Jean died in 2022. Their daughter, Bonnie Kay Crawford Urch preceded them in death 2004.
Bill is survived by his four sons, Thomas of Snoqualmie, WA, Mark of Friendswood, TX, David of Oak Park, IL and Scott of Haymarket, VA. Bill has eight grandchildren, Adam, Emily, Daniel, Jonathan, Jessica, Kristen, Liam, Will and eight great-grandchildren, Sophia, Ellie, Zara, Lucas, Andrew, Robbie, Campbell and Eliana. Bill was very proud that Campbell was born on October 7, his 95th birthday. Before his passing, he celebrated his 100th birthday in 2025!
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 11 am at Hope Lutheran Church, Friendswood conducted by Pastor Josh LeBorious and Pastor Ralph Hobratschk. A reception in the church fellowship hall will follow the service. A service of Committal and Internment of the Ashes will be held at a later date at the Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Gideon’s International or Hope Lutheran Church.
2 thoughts on “William Nielly Crawford III”
I have known this gentleman for a number of years. It was my honor to bring him Holy Communion when he could no longer attend Church Services, and his son, Fr. Mark Crawford, was unable to. He was one of my favorite people to visit. I always made sure to set aside ample time for him because our visits could be quite lengthy, as Bill made friends easily, and he did love conversation. He never failed to pray for me, instead of the other way around, as is the custom. I treasured every minute I spent with him. He was one in a million. He often told me he didn’t understand how he had lived to be so old, and I would say to him that he should know God wasn’t through with him yet, and we would get a laugh out of that. I will miss his humor, the stories of his missionary work, and his early life. He was a very special man. May his memory forever be a blessing.
Bill and Jean were my very best Christian mentors and friends. I loved them so much. The reason both of them lived for very long years, is that they knew Jesus had work for them to do and that was spreading the Gospel to as many people as possible. I have been sorting through my papers as a New Year’s resolution and it wasn’t an accident that the postcard Jean had sent with the Texas Chili recipe fell in my lap. My mother died a few months before Jean entered heaven and Daddy died 8 months later, all in 2022. I am in the process of selling my parents’ mountain home. I also have 7 grandchildren! I send my love to all the Crawfords as you adjust to Bill’s passing.