Harold Dean Crawley

Harold Dean Crawley, known as Dean, was a kind, gentle soul, a true friend, loving husband and father.

He was from the small town of Daisy, Tennessee, where he met his future wife in the high school between their small towns. After getting the approval from her older brother to court Laura, he told the story that he knew she was ' the one' the first time he held her hand walking to class. They married 2 years later, raised a family with their 2 daughters, Cathy and Donna, and remained a loving couple for 66 years. They were often seen still holding hands as they walked into Publix every Wednesday.
Dean spent his working career of more than 30 years with Southern Railroad. He was a Construction Engineer and Registered Surveyor, managing the construction of many large projects from tunnels to state of the art railroad freight yards. His experience and expertise in his field were so well known he continued to work as a consultant for a private engineering firm specializing in railroad projects, after retiring from the railroad.

Deans skills as an all round handy man and builder were obvious in the many projects and additions to his home. He and Laura made a great team as she dreamed up the concepts for home and garden and Dean built them. He often turned his skills to good use at the church, Fair Oaks Methodist, where he and the family had been members since moving to Georgia in the late 50's. Dean and a team of other deacons worked hard to improve and maintain their beloved church.
While known as a hard worker, Dean also enjoyed several surprising pastimes that he embraced after retirement. He fell in love with long distance biking and took many road trips all over the Southeast. He rode the Natchez Trace, the Florida panhandle coast, the Georgia coast, and his biggest challenge - topping North Carolina's Grandfather Mountain.

He also enjoyed his 4-wheel rides on his ATV on the trails of North Georgia.

Dean Crawley was an extraordinary man and will be deeply missed. Our consolation in his loss is knowing he's once again with his beloved Laura.