Obituary of Thomas H. Crawley
Thomas H. Crawley, age 92, of Joliet, passed away peacefully, Friday, November 26, 2021, after a brief illness.
Born December 20, 1928 in Joliet, he was the son of the late Charles F. and Ida (Allen) Crawley.
A lifelong resident of Joliet, Tom lost the comfort and love of a nurturing home at an early age when his mother died when he was just young boy. He and his younger sister were sent to live with their elderly grandparents nearing the end of the Great Depression when the prospect of their young father raising two small children on his own seemed impossible. Tom’s grandparents were unprepared for the new challenge, and it was a daily struggle to keep Tom and his sister fed, clothed and comfortable. While his friends were enjoying their youth and going to school, Tom was focused on survival, and he worked many odd jobs to support his grandparents and sister. He selflessly gave of himself in those formative years, bypassing the youth and opportunities afforded most of his friends.
Tom met a beautiful Italian student nurse named Loretta Sarcletti, who became the love of his life. Tom convinced Loretta’s father that he would be a great husband for Loretta, despite that fact that he was Irish. Loretta’s father agreed, and Tom married Loretta Sarcletti in 1956 and together they raised three children. As a loving husband and father, Tom made certain that his children had the childhood and supportive, nurturing homelife that he missed. He made sure that they always had whatever they needed and that they knew they were loved. Tom defended and protected his family and never missed an event that was important to them. His love and devotion extended to his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Wherever Tom went, he made people laugh. If you could not locate Tom in a large gathering of people, all you had to do was listen for the laughter and there he would be found, sitting among a large group regaling them with tales and jokes. He had the comedic wit and timing of a top comic, and at weddings, reunions or parties, guests clamored to get a seat near him for a guaranteed evening of entertainment. Even in the final weeks of his life, he entertained doctors and nurses with jokes and stories, embellishing and tweaking them with each retelling to make the punchline land perfectly. But just as Tom was one of the funniest people you had ever met, behind his tough outer shell he was also a kind soul who loved unconditionally and felt others pain, particularly of his family, neighbors, and friends.
In 1990 he retired from Olin Chemical and enjoyed retirement by spending time with family, sitting in the sun, watching football, perfecting his yard, watching the hummingbirds, and fixing things around the house. Tom was a diehard Notre Dame football fan and never missed watching a game, even during his recent hospitalization. He was a self-taught handyman of modest achievement and a firm believer that there was nothing that could not be fixed with duct tape. Much to the shock of his wife and delight of his grandchildren, even worn-out slippers and torn pants were not spared.
He was a member of Holy Family Parish and previously St. Patrick’s Parish.
Surviving are his beloved wife of 65 years, Loretta E. (Sarcletti) Crawley; his children, Thomas J. (Diane Tomac) Crawley, Deborah M. (Michael) Phillips, and James P. (Daniel Ingram) Crawley. Tom was the proud, loving and devoted grandfather to David T. Crawley, Carrie M. White, Elizabeth M. Phillips, Tiffany Roulo, and Keith Phillips; and great-grandfather to Jase and Kenzie White, Ashley and Tyler Girard, and Sophia Phillips. He was loving uncle to Mary Bebar, Joann Hayes, and Mark Ready. He was great-uncle to many special great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles F. and Ida Crawley, sister, Sharon (Charles) Lawson, sister-in-law, Marge Ready, brother-in-law, Peter Ready, nephews Michael Ready and Jeff Lawson, grandson, Brendan Phillips, his father’s later wife, M. Patricia Crawley, and Tom and Loretta’s infant twin daughters who passed shortly after birth.
Visitation for Thomas Crawley will be held Thursday, December 2, 2021 from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m. at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black Road, Joliet. Funeral services will be Thursday, at 10:15 a.m. from the funeral home to Holy Family Catholic Church, 600 N. Brook Forest Drive, Shorewood, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Entombment will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Romeoville.
Tom’s family is indebted to the compassionate caregivers at Sunny Hill Nursing Home of Will County and Lightways Hospice of Joliet, who worked tirelessly to make his final weeks comfortable and ease the family’s grief and sadness. You are our heroes and we are eternally grateful for the care you gave in our time of need. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name to Friends of Sunny Hill, Inc. would be appreciated (www.friendsofsunnyhill.com). The greatest way that you can honor Tom is to make a stranger laugh.
For more information, please call (815) 741-5500 or visit his Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com
