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saying goodbye to Larry Crawford



Yesterday, 4/16/02 several of us got to say goodbye to Carolina Bird Club
charter member Larry Crawford at a memorial service conducted by fellow
Carolina Bird Club member Rev. Dr. Richard (Rich) Boyd, Presbyterian
minister, here in New Bern.  Rich did a splendid job leading the service for
one of NC birding's class acts.  Larry would have been 73 yesterday.

A gentleman with a tremendous competitive spirit, Larry had the toughness of
a John Wayne.  Most people that didn't know Larry extremely well didn't
realize what a terrible heart condition he lived with.  He had undergone
over 19 heart procedures in the last 20 years.  He survived these last 10+
years on sheer grit and determination.  You never heard Larry bemoan his
condtion or complain about his chest pains but as Bob Holmes put it "He
could pop nitroglycerins like Chicklets".

Larry finished the race with 397 NC birds--his goal of 400 just out of
reach.  Many of us were pulling hard for Larry and hoping he'd live long
enough to see #400. He was Most days in the last six months he didn't even
get out of bed