Judson Lewis Crow

Dr. Judson (Jay) Lewis Crow passed on May 26, surrounded and held in love by family. Jay was born in Jonesboro, AR, on April 16, 1936, to Charles Lewis Crow and Lorene Louise Crow. Jay earned his MD and then joined the Navy. He traveled the world for his work as a Navy surgeon, serving in Antarctica and in Vietnam. He met his great love, Barbara Elizabeth Crow, in New Zealand on port of call. They married in Japan in 1964. They lived in various bases in the American South. Jay retired with an honorable discharge, then he and Barbara lived in San Antonio, TX, Boulder, CO, and settled in North Dakota, where they loved to watch birds, drive out to walk, and linger on the open prairie and watch the sky. Jay was admired for his humor, intelligence, and creativity. He had a giant intellect and was a bright light; he could always be counted on for a memorized recitation of poetry or a story about his past told in his southern drawl. Dad could be stubborn, and he had an aversion to most forms of authority. He often quoted the old Groucho Marx line, "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." Jay helped countless people with his reconstructive and cosmetic surgery skills. He chose the profession because, as he once told his family, he wanted to help people. He was loved by so many.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Lorene Crow; his son, Jonathan, and his wife, Barbara; and his brother, Charles Patrick Crow. Jay is survived by his children, Sarah Morrau of Fargo, ND; Melanie Crow (Isaac) of Kalamazoo, MI; Elizabeth Granchalek (Karl) of Maple Grove, MN; his stepdaughter, Alice Sollis (Mark) of Timaru, New Zealand (adopted daughter of Pam and John Russell, of Oamaru, New Zealand); and daughter, Lorrie, of New Orleans, LA. He is also survived by grandchildren, Katie Goracke (Riley) of Dilworth, MN; Carter, of Luveen, AZ, Jack; of Fargo, ND; Milo and Millie of Kalamazoo, MI; Benjamin and Emma of Maple Grove, MN; Andrew Dekrey (Carlee) of Moorhead, MN; grandchildren, Julian and Marty Jr. of New Orleans, LA.

Jay was an uncle to Katie Bamford (Michael), Anna Tyson (Peter), James Tyson, and John Tyson, all of Christchurch, NZ, and of Lahnae Cleaver (Matt), and Derek Futter (Ali) of Brisbane, Australia; Sarah Crow Biracree (Ryan) of NY; Rachel Crow Aouini of Huntington Beach, CA; Sam Crow of NY.

Jay was a great-uncle to Vaughan, Idaline, Judson, Kent, Jacob, Naida, and Matthew, and Joshua, all of Christchurch, NZ; Judah, Scarlett, and Gabriel of Auckland, NZ; Maya and Luna of Brisbane, Australia; Tristan, Asma, and Aycha of Huntington Beach, CA; and Tabitha and Ayelet, Beacon, NY.