Betty (Jean) Dannelly Crawford, age 94, widow of William Perkins Crawford, Sr., passed away peacefully on December 4, 2023 at the Presbyterian Home in Clinton, SC. She was born in Cuthbert, Georgia on August 18, 1929, to Roy Franklin Dannelly and Nora Shellhouse Dannelly. She was the second of five children. She was a Protestant (Baptist and later Presbyterian).
Betty grew up in Cuthbert, and upon graduating high school in 1946, married the love of her life, William “Buck” Perkins Crawford, Sr., who had recently returned from a 42-month stint in the Pacific during WWII. They shared 56 loving years together before Buck passed away in 2003. They had one child, William Perkins Crawford, Jr., who was their pride and joy. Despite Betty’s education culminating with high school (graduating in the 11th grade), and Buck having dropped out of school after the 6th grade to support his family during the Great Depression, Betty had a passion, more aptly characterized as an obsession, for education for her only child. She also had an unusual love of classical music, which she very intentionally shared with William. She took great pride in his musical and academic achievements.
In 1994, and with the blessing and encouragement of her daughter in law, Marion (Rose) Crawford, Betty and Buck moved from the Cuthbert home they built in 1950, to Greenville, SC. In 2003, after Buck passed away, “Nana” moved in with William, Marion and their three children: William Brawley Crawford (Sterling), McKoy Perkins Crawford, and Marion Caroline (MC) Crawford. For twenty years, Nana was a constant and steadfast source of light, love, vitality and courage for the entire family. Most of all, she was a “doer.” Nana’s devotion to her family above all else was unsurpassed, and that commitment forged a remarkable bond with her grandchildren. William and Marion were always grateful for having a built-in grandmother-babysitter.
As she had with William, Nana did whatever she could to encourage her grandchildren in their pursuit of education, music and sports. For years, she would pack a cello and a violin in her VW Bug and bring them to Christ Church Episcopal School, where she would sit with Brawley and McKoy to be their “proctor” while they practiced. Since MC took piano at school, Nana would have MC practice piano in the afternoons at Nana’s “house”, her mother-in-law suite. As a way of encouraging good study habits, Nana would bring lunch to school for the children weekly, and often brought extra for their friends as well. There were many weekends when one of the grandchildren had friends to spend the night, and they all stayed “at Nana’s”.
One of Betty’s greatest joys in life was listening to William and her grandchildren perform. She cherished the tradition of gathering as a family in the living room on Christmas Eve to play and sing carols together.
Nana was also fanatically productive and naturally industrious. In 2013, at the age of 84, she joined the administrative staff at the Crawford Agency where she won the hearts of her much younger colleagues with her southern charm as well as her determination to be a positive contributor. She arrived early and left late.
In addition to her husband and parents, Betty was preceded in death by a sister, Inez Dannelly Prescott, and a brother Roy Franklin Dannelly, Jr. She is survived by her sister Patricia Dannelly Mashburn (Goldsboro, NC), and her brother James Darrell Dannelly (Panama City, FL). She is also survived by several nephews and nieces, particularly Steven Crawford Cole, his wife Caryn and their children and grandchildren, who visited her often and of whom she was very fond.
A memorial service to celebrate Betty’s life will be held on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Laurens, SC, or Westminster Presbyterian Church Greenville, or a charity of your choice. The family will receive guests after the service at their home.
Condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting our website www.gray funeralhome.com
Gray Funeral Home of Laurens is assisting the family with arrangements.
