Robert Donald Crews

Robert Donald Crews, 83, died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home, Monroe, from complications of Lewy Body Disease. Donald was born June 18, 1929, in DeQueen, Ark., to Maude Fowler and Carlisle Crews. He graduated from DeQueen High School, where he participated in football, basketball, track, and baseball. He graduated from Southern State College (now University of Southern Arkansas) in 1952, where he played football, making the All-AIC team his senior year. He also participated in track, where he set a record of 9.9 seconds in the 100-yard dash. He earned a Master of Arts degree in school administration from Memphis State College (now University of Memphis). He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict, having served two years in the U. S. Army and being discharged with the rank of Sgt. First Class. He held high school coaching positions at Wilson, Marion, Hamburg and Smackover. In his nine years at Hamburg his football teams won three district championships. He was named Arkansas High School Football Coach of the Year in 1963 and was inducted into the Ashley County Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and the University of Southern Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. After 15 years of coaching, he became a counselor for the Arkansas Department of Human Services and served in that position until his retirement. His hobbies included raising and training dogs for quail hunting and for field trial competition. For ten years he served as a guide for the Big Country Celebrity Quail Hunt, an annual charity event, in Abilene, Texas. He was also was a bass fisherman. He was a member of Hamburg First United Methodist Church, where he had served as a member and chair of the Administrative Council, member and chair of the board of trustees, member of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, and Sunday school teacher. Survivors are his wife of 60 years, Dorinda Hale Crews; two daughters, Kimberly Crews Veazey and husband Stanton of Hamburg; and Carla Crews Kidd of Jonesboro; and five grandchildren, Lauren Veazey, Crews Veazey, Kirby Kidd, Carter Kidd, and Collin Kidd. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. A service of celebration of Donald's life will be at Hamburg First United Methodist Church at 1 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, with a reception following. The family requests no flowers. Memorial gifts may be made to the Hamburg First United Methodist Church 202 S. Main Street, Hamburg, Ark. 71646 or the Hamburg High School Honors Scholarship Fund, PO Box 30, Hamburg, Ark. 71646. Arrangements are under the direction of Jones-Hartshorn Funeral Home of Hamburg. Online guestbook at www.jones-hartshorn.com.