Clete Robert Crow

LIFE SKETCH

CLETE ROBERT CROW

9-25-51 – 9-13-17

Remembered by Mary Crow

Clete was born in Bell, California and was the third of four boys.  He had a “Mayberry” type of childhood and in fact, he and I would watch the Andy Griffith show together and he’d almost always remark that he used to do a lot of things Opie and his pals would do- except his pals were his three brothers.  Fishing was the number one vacation in the Crow house.  I think Mom would seldom go, but she probably enjoyed a vacation of her own away from four rambunctious little boys. They didn’t have much money or material things-but like many of us in that era, we kids didn’t know we were poor.

He excelled in junior and high school sports –particularly basketball and baseball. His upbringing and the fact that he played on sports teams for many years shaped the way Clete lived his life.  He was once described to me as “being the most honest man I’ve ever met”.  Any form of dishonesty or lack of integrity really bothered him. You couldn’t find a more dedicated worker –someone who cared about the end product and everything in between.  I also heard recently from someone that you could never just say “hello” to Clete – because he always had something more to say.  He had an outgoing personality and would talk to just about anyone.  When Katie and Jason lived in Canada, Clete found a corner store with a coffee pot.  He would go there each morning before any of us had a chance to wake up, chatting with his new island friend who was there each morning to make a pot.

When the kids and their friends were growing up, they did a lot of it in our family room-a lot of times with Clete right along with them.  Video games, playing catch, watching the Utes on t.v. and in later years, going to the games with the “guys”.  Jeremy Davis spent about 6 months living with us while Andy was on his mission.  I will never forget seeing the two of them, Jeremy and Clete, sitting at the dining room window watching the cars slide down the hill.  I can still hear the cheers when someone actually made it down without running into a curb or fence, or tree, or pole.

Clete loved Heavenly Father’s creations and our favorite type of vacation was to go on a road trip or just a drive through the mountains.  Fishing with the grandkids at a lake in the Uintas was always a good time to be had.

He was a Family Man through and through who thought the best way to spend an afternoon was to watch a grandkid playing soccer.  He always had dollar bills in his pocket just in case a goal or a “good play” was made. In fact, they got paid just for showing up.  Ellie probably needs to see me after this service to collect her dollar from last Saturday’s game.

He was a generous person who didn’t care about things money could buy.  He loved our home, but that was because of the love that was there not because it was a mansion.  One of his last acts of generosity was to donate money to Harvey relief. 

Last of all, Clete loved me and I always knew it.  He made sure I knew it.  I heard it in his constant words, in the way he complimented me on our home together, on the way he kissed me in the morning before he headed out for the day.  Recently, he started opening doors for me again.  After 46 years of marriage, we had kind of let that slide – and to tell the truth it was my fault. Anyway, he told me “I love doing this, it feels like we’re dating again!”  He was a romantic –not the gift giving kind-he could never keep a secret- but he was definitely a man who knew many words of love.

I like to think of him seeing beauties we can’t imagine, meeting people he hasn’t seen for a long time and watching over me always until I see him again.

 GO UTES!

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at the Russon Farmington Mortuary, 1941 N. Main St. at 2:30 pm.. There will be a visitation for family and friends from 1:30-2:30 prior to services.