Jackie Elizabeth Crawley

When someone is identified as a natural leader, certain images come to mind. First thoughts are of a no-nonsense, tough-minded, dedicated, and disciplined person. This description accurately fits Jackie Elizabeth Crawley who was indeed one of that rare breed, a born leader. She will be remembered as being highly organized, practical, and realistic, someone who was a born manager. She was a person who always carried a strong sense of duty with her throughout her life. Possessed with traditional “old school” morals, Jackie was an individual who clearly communicated to those around her, and let it be known just who she was and what she was all about. Everyone acquainted with her knew her as a well-respected woman who was a stable force in her community.

Jackie was born on September 4th, 1955. She first greeted the world in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was the daughter of John Harris and Maxine Thompson. Maxine loved taking Jackie dress shopping. She grew up in Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio. Even as a youngster, Jackie learned to be objective and decisive. Her faith in the principles of authority and dependability was something that she carried with her throughout her life. Her early life was filled with many exciting experiences. When she was 5 years old she loved to take a cab six doors down to her Aunt Edna's house.

As a young girl, Jackie was able to put her natural abilities to work. She was a bit like the "Sergeant" of the family, always making sure that others did what they should do and that they avoided the things that they shouldn't. In other words, she liked to organize and direct; she was good at it. She was raised with one sibling, her younger brother, Tyrone. She loved him and was very close to her brother. They were always together; even when she left Cincinnati, she took him with her. Jackie tried her best to allow for the oldest members of the family to be the most respected and to take on the most responsibility. For her, this was the natural order of life. She was also close to other relatives; Jackie's extended family included Diane and Carl Crawley. One of the fondest memories would be when Uncle Carl and Diane would visit with their kids in the summer having BBQs.

Jackie's matter-of-fact attitude about most things was developed during her childhood. As a young girl, she enjoyed being part of teams and organizations, as well as groups of other kids who shared similar interests. She liked being socially active and did so by belonging to the Boys and Girls Club and WYMCA.

She had a number of favorite pastimes, which included collecting coins and stamps. Being a natural leader, she enjoyed playing games with her friends, especially checkers, jacks and marbles. When she would read, her favorites were Little Women and The Count of Monte Cristo. One of her biggest accomplishments during her younger years was to maintain being an Honor Student K-12.

Jackie was sociable and approachable. Because she was always so straightforward in how she approached relationships, friends and family knew that what they saw was always what they got. This is how she approached her friendships. Some of those friends included Katherine Evans, Diane Crawley, Skitler, and Marcy Thompson. She loved animals, and it all started with her favorite pet, a turtle named Sam. Sam would dance to James Brown music.

Jackie felt comfortable taking charge in just about any situation. Whether it was at home or away, she maintained a take-charge attitude. Jackie's childhood home was a small brick house in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. When the family would travel or take vacations, she was always organized. Some of her most memorable vacations as a child would be to Canada, Windson, Toronto, and Quebec.

In school, Jackie was as close to being a model student as one could possibly imagine. She sought to achieve perfect attendance in all of her classes. She would eagerly complete her homework, and often put in extra study time when she felt it was necessary. A logical and focused thinker, she was always good at following directions and meeting her deadlines, whether they were set by her teachers or self-imposed. Her personal motto could have been, “Do it right the first time.” She graduated with a GED at the age of 16.

While high school was to be taken seriously, Jackie knew that there was life outside of the classroom. She approached all of his leisure activities with the same straightforward approach that she used in school. Still, she enjoyed the camaraderie of being with a group of friends. Her interaction with others in her circle of friends seemed to keep everyone around her well-grounded. Those close to her came to expect her high standards. When she and her friends got together, they would.

Jackie seemed to have been born with a sense of responsibility. It seemed that no matter what she undertook, she treated it as though it were of the utmost importance. Her sense of responsibility did not end there but flowed over into any number of other areas. Jackie's very first car was a yellow VW, called Rage Mop. She was also involved in the community during her high school years.

Jackie's practical work ethic carried over into her college years. Her logical mind permitted her to work hard without succumbing to the usual distractions of college life. She would tackle an assignment and work through it before moving onto the next project. Her orderly nature gave way to establishing personal study habits and procedures that not only helped her stay on track, but often put her ahead of schedule. When she saw the need or benefit, she would willingly take on the extra assignment or even attend extra classes in order to learn more and become a better student. Jackie attended St. Mary's Women College, St. Joseph's College earning a BA in Nursing; University of Cincinnati earning a BA in Administration; and earning a Masters Degree in both in Nursing and Business at UNLV. Her favorite courses were Nursing, Biology, Chemistry, History and Calculus. While attending UNLV, Jackie earned an award in the Black Nursing Association, Las Vegas Chapter. Her most memorable accomplishment was when she earned her Masters Degree from UNLV. Her college years proved that the entire world was worth exploring, and her favorite part of going to college was that she set a good example for her kids.

Because she was such a straight-shooter, she developed a strong group of friends during her college years. One of her best friends was Tish Brenton. One of her fondest memories would be staying up all night studying with her.

College often brings on a number of fun and offbeat stories about a person's living arrangements. It was no different for Jackie. She attended college in both Cincinnati, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Harold and Jackie met for the first time in an elevator at the apartment building where she lived. Their first date was at her house. It was a small dinner and she served chicken. They were married at the court house.

One of Jackie's most endearing qualities was her uncanny ability to remember important dates and anniversaries, as well as her unending enthusiasm for organizing a celebration for her family and friends. As was the case with many young couples, Jackie and Harold lived modestly during the early years of their marriage. Their first residence was purchased at Stansberry in Detroit, MI.

A civic-minded person, Jackie was usually ready to jump in and help with community activities. She was the type of person who could masterfully organize events and projects and then see to it that they were run in an efficient and timely manner. She was a member of several community groups. Being generous with her time and energy, she liked to belong to a variety of groups and organizations. She was a vocal leader who enjoyed being a part of things. Her desire to uphold traditions and her ability to take charge of any type of project made her a tremendous asset.

Jackie was ever watchful of her family. She worried about them and was deeply concerned for how each member developed. Some may have believed she was a bit overprotective because she maintained a firm hand in most family matters. But she would give her stamp of approval to any request, as long as she could see how it might be beneficial. She also had the ability to enforce the rules if and when they were needed. She had six children: Carmen Crawley, Sherrie Litman, Shannell Maleveaux, Harold Crawley Jr., Sharold Crawley, and Willie Crawley.

Jackie was a proud parent. She would often be filled with pride because of the accomplishments of her children. She was very proud that all her children were high school graduates.

Jackie liked to believe that she provided a warm, safe and nurturing environment for her children. Their house on Traford Street was large and spacious, perfect for a big family. The neighbors had horses that the kids played with in the backyard. She also tried to instill a love of animals in her children and made sure that they had pets in the house, such as Pearly and Midnight, the cats. She enjoyed family vacations, and also tried to teach responsibility when the family would travel. One of the best vacations was when all of the children got to go to Niagra Falls.

Later, she was also blessed with six grandchildren, Kayla Alexander, Dominique Malveaux, Alanna Collier, Rodney Mcrucel Jr., Tyanna Crawley, Harold Crawley III, and Titus Woltz.

Being a hard worker who praised efficiency, Jackie was always striving to make improvements when they were necessary or productive. She was able to analyze situations and problems, keeping everything and everyone on track. An excellent project supervisor, she was a person who could quickly make decisions based on the information available. She worked cooperatively and expected the same from her colleagues. Years ago, Jackie worked at Drake Hospital in Ohio. Probably the most unique or interesting job she ever held was being a EK nurse. Her primary occupation was working as a registered nurse. Jackie held many positions. She was a registered nurse at Sunrise, Valley, and UMC hospital, and was an instructor at UNLV. One of her most major accomplishments during her career was being the Director of Nursing in Bullhead City, AZ.

Jackie's ability to take command of any type of task caused her to be popular around the workplace. For this reason she managed to make a number of friends, including Terrance Allen, Helen Moore, Charmain, and Ducky. Jackie was most definitely a team player. If you gave her a job, she would, without a doubt, get it done.

Jackie approached her leisure time in the same manner that she approached other aspects of her life. A person who enjoyed being neat and orderly as well as one who understood the nature of things, she appreciated the hours she was able to devote to her various hobbies. Some of those included shopping, playing Keno, Bingo, and singing Karaoke. Loving the game of Keno so much, she earned the nickname "Jackpot Keno".

For Jackie, many things brought her a little bit of joy in life. She loved playing Keno (hence) her nickname; and later became fond of Bingo. Food was there to be enjoyed, especially her favorites, such as spaghetti, ice cream and BBQ. Jackie loved watching Harry Potter, soap operas, and Westerns; and loved listening to R&B, Jazz and Gospel.

Playing by the rules was a natural thing for her to do in life and that carried over to her enjoyment of sports. She also enjoyed watching football and events whenever she got the opportunity.

Faith was important to her. She held deep Catholic beliefs that she was willing to share.

Jackie always seemed like the type of person who could look at a situation and determine the best route to take. Her perspective on retirement was no different. She made sure that every detail had been pre-planned and attended to.

Even in retirement she managed to keep in touch with old friends and make plenty of new ones. Jackie had fond memories with Theresa and Johnny during these years. It provided her with the opportunity to catch up with her friends, attend functions and group outings, and tackle new and interesting activities.

Jackie Elizabeth Crawley left us on April 20th, 2011. She passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age 55. The cause of death was lung cancer. She was preceded in death by her mother and husband. She is survived by Sherrie, Shannell, Harold, Sharold, and Willie. Services were handled by Palm Mortuary Northwest. Jackie was laid to rest at Veteran's Memorial, Boulder City, Nevada.

All who knew her would agree that Jackie was a pillar of the community. She lived her life with her feet firmly planted on the ground. She had a strong work ethic, was pragmatic in her thoughts and acts, and constantly sought the means for self-improvement. She was willing to share her ideas and knowledge for the benefit of others, so that they could accomplish more in their lives. Jackie did her best to ensure that her family, friends, loved ones, co-workers, and everyone whose life she touched were given the chance to become a better person.