MEMORIAL RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF REVERENED JOHN H. CRAWFORD, JR.
WHEREAS, Reverend John H. Crawford, Jr., husband, brother, father, and community activist, entered into eternity on February 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of Reverend Crawford's passing by the Honorable Emma Mitts, Alderman of the 37th Ward; and
WHEREAS, John was born to the union of John Henry and Essie Crawford in Round Pond, Arkansas on July 8, 1939, and was the oldest of fourteen brothers and sisters; and
WHEREAS, The Crawfords eventually left Arkansas and moved to Chicago's South Side, where John graduated from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, and later joined the U.S. Army, became a medic, and received honors for his service; and
WHEREAS, In 1961, John married Beulah White; the couple had five children, Johnathan, Zina, Yvonne, Malcolm, and Cheryle; John also had two sons, LeJon and Vernon; and
WHEREAS, "Big John," as he was known in the early 1960s, was one of the founding members of the West Side Organization (WSO), an organization that assisted African-Americans with employment, welfare, and schooling, and published a community newspaper; and
WHEREAS, Through John's work with WSO, he organized many meaningful marches, meetings, and events, which led him to being asked to protect Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. whenever he visited Chicago; John also walked with Dr. King in the Marquette Park open-housing march; and
WHEREAS, John accepted the Lord at an early age, and became licensed to minister in the early 1970s; and
WHEREAS, In 1985, Reverend Crawford had a dream that woke him from his sleep and inspired him to start For Action In Togetherness Holdfast Incorporated (F.A.I.T.H., INC.), an organization dedicated to helping individuals re-integrate into society after incarceration; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Crawford met the love of his life, Patty Stewart, in 1993, and married her two years later; "Sweet P" and "Sweet J", as they affectionately called each other, had five beautiful children, and have been blessed with 25 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren with one on the way, one great-great-grandson, and two Godsons; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Crawford is preceded in death by six brothers, one sister, and one son; he leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife Patty; two brothers, Arnold (Beatrice) and Kenneth Crawford (Vinnie); Dorothy, Erna (Henry), Cheryle (Jesse), and Joan (Johnnie); brother-in-law, Thomas Stewart; sister-in-law, Irma (Grant); his many special nieces, nephews, and cousins, and a host of friends and loved ones; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this nineteenth day of February, 2020, do hereby extend our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Reverend John H. Crawford; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the family Reverend JohnMiCrawfprS,'as a sign of our honor and respect.
->£ EMMA MITTS
^.r^W' Alderman, 37th Ward