Darrell “Pappy” Crowe, 75, of Johnson City, passed away Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at Johnson City Medical Center.
Pappy was a lifelong resident of Johnson City. He was the son of the late Manuel and Geraldine Arnett Crowe.
Pappy graduated from Science Hill High School where he was an outstanding basketball player. He graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree in Industrial Education and obtained his master’s degree in the same field in 1973. He coached and taught from 1965-66 at Old North Junior High School in Johnson City, from 1967-68 at Elizabethton High School, and from 1969-75 at Cocke County High School in Newport, Tenn. Pappy had been the Executive Director for the Elizabethton/Carter County Boys and Girls Club for four years and for the Johnson City club for 24 years.
After he retired his favorite pastime was playing golf every week. Pappy coached in the Dizzy Dean league, with a summer boy’s baseball team, for a couple more years. He had been involved with the team for over 35 years, and for the last six years, his team has been “Dizzy Dean State Champs.” The team is made up of 19-year-old boys and under from the Tri-Cities. Pappy will be remembered by hundreds of young people throughout the area.
Pappy was a member of Buffalo Valley Christian Church. He was the Senior Class Sunday School teacher and Chairman of the Elders.
In addition to his parents, Pappy was preceded in death by one sister, Mary Dean Ward; one grandchild, Matthew R. Miller; and one great-grandchild, Lily Shumate.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Patricia Peoples Crowe; two daughters, Darlene Coleman and her husband Phillip and Tammy Depriest and her husband Jeff; one brother, Terry Crowe and his wife Glenda; two sisters, Billy Jean Street and her husband Jerry and Betty Diehl and her husband Edward; four grandchildren, Heather Morris and her husband Josh, April Shumate and her husband Brandon, Matthew Miller and his fiancée McKenzie Hughes, and Rachelle Roark and her husband Brent; four great-grandchildren, Blayne Morris, Ayvri Morris, Coby Roark and Bella Shumate; and several nieces and nephews.
The family of Mr. Crowe will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the Morris-Baker South Chapel. The funeral service will follow at 8 p.m. with Mr. Roland Whittemore, minister, and Pastor Jason Hodges officiating. The graveside committal service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at Roselawn Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Matthew Miller, Josh Morris, Brandon Shumate, Jeff Depriest, Phillip Coleman, Jake Peoples, Jim Brown and Todd Brown. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Whitson, Charles Hartman, Bob Pardue and the men of Buffalo Valley Christian Church. The ministers, family and friends are requested to meet at the funeral home by 10:15 a.m. Saturday to go in procession to the cemetery. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Juvenile Diabetes and the Elizabethton Boys and Girls Club. Memories and condolences may be sent to the Crowe family via www.morrisbaker.com.
Morris-Baker Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2001 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, (423) 282-1521, is serving the Crowe family.