A Daughter’s Love: A Tribute to Curtis Tyrone Crawford
(September 18, 1946 – September 21, 2026)
My father was so excited to turn 80 this year. He would talk about it with me every day during the months leading up to his special day. I would ask him what he wanted to do to celebrate, and he would never land on one thing. He was just so excited to reach this precious milestone.
When I think about my father, I’m blessed with so many memories across the different decades of our lives. He was smart, tall, strong, handsome, quiet, stern, curious, engaging, loving, and kind all the days I knew him. When I was a young child, I remember my dad reading to me and instilling in me a love of education that he surely gained from his mother, who was a schoolteacher in Birmingham, Alabama. My father grew up in the Jim Crow South with segregation at every turn in his life. Separate but unequal wasn’t something my dad read about; he lived it. And he talked about it with me so I would always remember and know where he and our ancestors came from. I often reference my dad’s experiences in my own teaching at university and my work in the multicultural communications space.
Despite his early experiences with segregation, he charted an extraordinary path for himself. I know I’ll never truly understand how hard he worked, how much he sacrificed, and all that he endured personally to achieve all the amazing accomplishments he did. He entered the Coast Guard at a time when it was very limiting for Black people to enter. He worked at two of the “Big Four” accounting firms that would lead to his 27-year career as a supervisory special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.).
I admired my dad every step of the way, talked about him to friends and work colleagues often, and sought to learn everything I could about his life and his dreams through our conversations. I went through a slight rebellious stage as a teen, but I never gave him any problems as a student, and he always lauded me for our shared commitment to education. I excelled on honor rolls and in honor societies, attended undergrad and graduate school, graduated with high grades, and had fulfilling experiences, including a study abroad. He was right there every step of the way, cheering me on and giving me the best advice. My early 20s were one of the best phases of my life because our connection transitioned to not only Daddy/daughter but friend and confidant.
One of our best bonding experiences was during the summer of 1995 when I joined the F.B.I. as a summer employee. I was sworn in along with other sons and daughters of F.B.I. employees, and while I didn’t work directly with my dad, I often got to have lunch with him or ride in with him some mornings when I was willing to meet his 5:30 a.m. departure time. Those lunch meetups continued when I started my first job working downtown after grad school.
I truly had an amazing dad who helped me with major life decisions like buying a new car, a condo, and managing investments even when I had no money to invest. My father also walked me down the aisle to wed my husband, a fellow Morehouse Man, and danced me off to my newly married life just 15 years ago this year. Our father/daughter dance song was, of course, “My Girl” by the tempting Temptations.
Time is a thief. There is never enough time. Diseases that come with age, like dementia or cancer, are truly the worst states of being for many people and devastate many families. What I know for sure is that my connection with my father has been and will continue to be strong, as he is on a different plane now, but still around me in spirit. I feel it, and I experience it in the many “God winks” I notice. I’m honored that I can call Curtis T. Crawford my father. He was one of a kind and will be forever missed by me. And I look forward to telling more of his story in the future. For now, I take his often-shared adage of “keep moving forward” to move forward, continue to celebrate his extraordinary 80 years of “happy and content” life, and ultimately do what he would want me to do most: take care of his daughter, Christina Paige Crawford Steed.
P.S.: When I launched my blog “Paige’s Ponderings” 15 years ago, my dad was likely one of my only readers, and he contributed a few “ponderings” to my blog. Here are the links to those stories.
My Daddy’s Reflections on Black History
https://paigeponderings.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-daddys-reflections-on-black-history.html
My Baby Boomer Dad’s Position on the N-word
https://paigeponderings.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-baby-boomer-dads-position-on-n-word.html
The Importance of the Voting Rights Act
https://paigeponderings.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-importance-of-voting-rights-act.html
Obituary
Curtis Tyrone Crawford was born September 18, 1946, in Birmingham, Alabama, to parents Matthew Crawford, Sr. and Janie Mae (Berry) Crawford. As the youngest born, Curtis was raised in a loving home alongside brother Matthew Crawford Jr. and Bernice (Crawford) Brantly.
Curtis accepted Christ as his savior at an early age and continued to maintain a close relationship with God his entire life. He was a 1964 graduate of A.H. Parker High School and excelled as a student. He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1968 with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in economics. He also attended Atlanta University with a full scholarship before transferring to Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts, to earn his M.B.A.
He served a four-year tour as Lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard and spent several years as the admissions officer at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
During his first marriage, Curtis was blessed with a daughter, Ayanna Curtrissa Crawford. In 1976, he was united in marriage to Karen Ann (McCrary). Their union was blessed with two daughters, Christina (Crawford) Steed and Courtney (Crawford) Pinter.
His private sector career started with one of the “Big Four” firms, Arthur Andersen Certified Public Accounting Firm in Hartford, Connecticut. He also worked as an accountant with another “Big Four” accounting firm, Price Waterhouse.
Curtis would embark on his next professional adventure entering the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) using his accounting background for the growing need for sophisticated forensic accounting expertise for investigating financial crimes. Crawford began his 27-year career with the F.B.I. in 1976, serving on the bank robbery/fugitive squad in the Bureau’s Jacksonville, Florida Division. He was then transferred to the Chicago Division. In his years with the Bureau, he has worked in a variety of different investigative areas, including Organized Crime, Public Corruption, and Property Crimes, in addition to the areas of bank robbery and fugitive investigations. He has been recognized over the years with awards for his work on several cases, including investigations of corrupt officials in city government (Operation Incubator) and the investigations of corrupt police officials (Operation Deadfall). In his most well-known case, Curtis supervised the more than four-year investigation of the Palumbo Brothers road-building companies, which showed the companies defrauded the state, 35 suburbs, and their employees out of millions of dollars between 1973 and 1996. He also headed a nine-state regional task force, the F.B.I.’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force for the Great Lakes Region, that oversaw major federal drug investigations. At the time of his retirement, he was one of 19 Black agents among the more than 400 assigned to the Chicago office.
He retired as the highest-ranking African American agent in the F.B.I.’s Chicago office. Known for his strong leadership, he mentored many employees and fellow colleagues and received several awards and recognitions for his investigative work over the years. Colleagues in law enforcement describe him as a “distinguished agent,” a “great man,” “one of the BEST FBI agents ever,” “a kind and smart person,” and a true mentor to many professionals.
Curtis was a true family man, a “girl dad,” and a loving grandpa. He enjoyed playing racquetball and participating in tournaments, swimming, and watching his favorite sports: football, basketball, and tennis. He resumed his favorite activity from his childhood in his 70s: riding a bike. He took on the challenge of learning to speak Spanish in his 60s and loved conversing with native Spanish speakers. He had a memorable laugh, a megawatt smile, and dealt sage advice to all who would listen, which was duly named “Curtiisms.” Some of those sayings included: “Don’t take any wooden nickels,” “Truth fears no trial,” and “Police the area.” He was a big fan of The Temptations and Marvin Gaye, as well as a great bid whist partner at Crawford and Berry family reunions. He valued his family and its history, often sharing pictures and stories for documentation and remembrance at family gatherings.
He was part of the Great Migration, traveling up from the South to make a home and career in the Chicagoland area for more than 30 years. He developed a respected reputation in the Chicago business community and was well known for being kind, smart, and helpful. He was an amazing father, role model, husband, and friend, especially to his children. He would share his experiences of growing up in the South during the time of segregation to remind his children to be steadfast in their pursuit of personal excellence, particularly in their education.
On Monday, September 21, just days after celebrating his much-anticipated 80th birthday, Curtis peacefully departed this earthly life, held by love, leaving behind a legacy of duty, joy, love, wisdom, patience, and kindness.
Curtis was preceded in death by his parents, Matthew and Janie, and his brother, Matthew Jr.
Curtis leaves to cherish his memory and honor his legacy: his wife of 49 years, Karen Ann; his three daughters, Ayanna, Christina (Munson), and Courtney (Mark); his grandchildren Kamau, Sarah, Lua, and Winston; and two great-grandchildren Kyrin and Kruz; a sister, Bernice (Terry) Brantly; niece Jacqueline (Lynette); nephew Matthew III (Cindy); and a host of extended family, friends, and former colleagues.
Curtis was a beautiful, kind, and peaceful soul who shared his wisdom and inextinguishable light with all who knew him. May his courageous spirit, warm hugs, and faith well demonstrated be remembered in our hearts. He lived a happy and content life with dignity and grace until the end. And as he would say to his family, always “keep moving forward.”
Semper Paratus
