Dear Friends,
Several coming events will provide opportunities for all of us who
knew and loved Charlie Crawford to celebrate his life and share
memories. The first of these happens tonight at 7:00 PM, ET. Here’s
what you need to know about tonight’s Tuesday Topic:
Tuesday Topics: 7pm ET, 4pm PT, 1pm HT
On Friday, September 11th 2020, Charlie Crawford passed away. During
his long life he made many friends, did many wonderful things, lived
by a set of principles that was admired and was a friend. Tuesday
Topics will devote our two hours to a celebration of Charlie's life.
We will hear the good things, the funny things, the passions, the
principles and the panache that were all a part of who Charlie was.
Listen on ACB Radio Mainstream:
www.acbradio.org
Join the discussion
https://zoom.us/j/887066437
One tap mobile: +131226266799,,887066437#
Phone: 312-626-6799
Meeting ID: 887 066 437
The obituary for Charlie Crawford follows, as well as a link to the
family’s celebration of Charlie’s life, which will happen on Saturday
and will be available through streaming.
Charles (Charlie) H. Crawford, age 73, of Silver Spring, Maryland
Charlie was born on August 28, 1947, along with his fraternal twin
brother, Manuel Crawford, to Julia (Gonzalez) and Robert Crawford in
Queens, New York. After spending his childhood in new Hampshire,
Charlie’s parents relocated the family to Puerto Rico, where he
graduated from St. Rose High School and attended InterAmerican
University in Sam Herman, PR. Although Charlie became blind when his
retinas detached while in college, his blindness did not stop him from
enjoying a full life. He became fluent in Spanish and developed
Braille literacy. He often credited The Seeing Eye for giving him his
life back when he received Patsy, his first Seeing Eye dog.
In 1971, Charlie founded and became the first president of the Blind
Leadership Club, which later became known as Bay State Council of the
Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. After
directing the Client Assistance Program at the Massachusetts
Commission for the Blind, Governor Michael Dukakis appointed Charlie
in 1984 to the position of Massachusetts Commissioner for the Blind,
which he held until 1998 when he left Boston to become Executive
Director of the American Council of the Blind in Washington, DC. He
later served briefly as Director of Blindness Rehabilitation at the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but he retired after suffering a
ruptured cerebral aneurysm in 2004. Once recovered, Charlie spent the
next 16 years volunteering tirelessly in numerous organizations at the
local, state, and national levels.
An innovator, Charlie created numerous opportunities for people with
blindness or disabilities to enjoy fulfilling lives within their
families and communities. In Massachusetts, he partnered with the
Boston Public Schools to establish an after school recreation program
for blind students who welcomed friends without disabilities. Before
the days of the Internet, he created an accessible computer bulletin
board service to encourage blind students and adults to develop
computer skills by playing games. He created several computer
programs, including the Talking Checkbook, and enjoyed collaborating
with others to make improvements. He gave all programs to others at no
charge.
Charlie also contributed to numerous initiatives benefiting those with
and without disabilities. He was an ardent advocate for accessible
communication technology, accessible voting, pedestrian safety, video
description, and accessible transportation. He testified before
Congress in support of Medicare coverage of medical treatment for
macular degeneration to prevent blindness. In a collaboration with
cross-disability and patient family groups, he helped draft and
testified to the Maryland Statehouse in support of the Maryland
Patients’ Information Bill of Rights, which Governor Hogan signed into
law.
Charlie served on numerous boards, including the Council of State
Agencies for Vocational Rehabilitation, National Council of State
Agencies for the Blind, Guide Dog Users, Inc., the Equal Rights
Center, the Maryland Rehabilitation Council, the Montgomery County
Commission for People with Disabilities, and advisory committees for
WAMATA. Charlie received many awards, including the Morris Frank Award
from the Seeing Eye, and the George Card Award from ACB.
A long-time fan of the Boston Red Sox, Charlie also loved music,
hamburgers, discussing current events, and sharing Alexa jokes.
Charlie is survived by Susan Crawford, his beloved wife of 34 years,
stepson, Steve Lehotsky, daughter-in-law Caitlin Talmadge, and
grandchildren, Jack and Caroline, brothers and sisters-in-law,
cousins, and nieces and nephews. He has friends near and far.
A memorial service will be live streamed on Saturday, September 26,
2020, at 10:30 am. A link to attend virtually will be posted on
http://www.graceepiscopalchurch.org/ and the Grace Episcopal Church
Silver Spring Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that
donations in his honor be made to the Seeing Eye in Morristown, New
Jersey, or to Grace Episcopal Church in Silver Spring, Maryland.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Charles H. Crawford,
please visit our Tribute Store.
On Saturday afternoon at their bimonthly board meeting, GDUI will
honor Charlie Crawford with shared stories and memories. Charlie was a
long-time member of GDUI, having served the organization in many
roles, most recently as Chair of GDUI’s Advocacy and Legislative
Committee since 2014.
Saturday, May 23, 2020, 1:00 pm, ET
Here are the Zoom links and numbers that will access this meeting:
Topic: GDUI Board Meeting
Time: May 23, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/562675137
Meeting ID: 562 675 137
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+13126266799,,562675137# US (Chicago)
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Meeting ID: 562 675 137
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