Virginia Hale Crawford

Athens suffered a great loss on Friday, May 29th, when surrounded by her two daughters, Virginia Hale Crawford, lifelong resident of Athens, passed away.  The daughter of the late Eddie Inman Hale and Junia Hale, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband J. Edward Crawford and devoted daughter, Karla Virginia Pinson, who was always there for her mama and left us all far too soon. She is survived by her daughters Lisa Crawford-Pringle, (Dr. Lon Pringle), Susan K. Crawford (Marie T. Roy), son-in-law Lane Pinson, and beloved grandchildren Melanie Pinson, Katelyn Pringle, Madison Pringle and James Pringle.

A private graveside memorial was held on Monday, June 1, 2020 at New Harmony Baptist Church in Nicholson, GA. Due to circumstances of COVID, regretfully, it was not possible to conduct a service that allowed for Virginia’s many friends to participate. Doug Nix, Adult Ministries Pastor, and retired pastor Bill Ricketts, both of Prince Avenue Baptist Church led the intimate yet powerful celebration of her life. “In the Garden” and “How Great Thou Art” were sung by Virginia’s daughter Lisa.....and yes, she hit the high C note at the end! Virginia, who was known for her lovely voice, would have wanted it that way.   In lieu of flowers to the family, donations may be made in Virginia’s honor to Prince Avenue Baptist Church.

Virginia grew up on Hall Street in Athens, GA and was an only child who adored her parents, Junia and Eddie Hale of Athens. Upon graduation from Athens High School she attended the University of Georgia where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

Excelling academically at UGA, Virginia was a member of Phi Chi Theta Fraternity for women in business for which she served as president of the fraternity her senior year and upon graduation acted as an alumni advisor. She also served on the Panhellenic council and was active in the music program as a vocalist and pianist under Dr. Byron Warner. In addition to her academic success she enjoyed fun times with her many friends. This included, of course, lots of games between the hedges, following those Harry Dawgs. The roar of the crowd at Sanford Stadium on Saturday afternoons could be heard from the porch of her parents Hall Street home and was a part of the fabric of her life.

Virginia was a smart, beautiful and charming southern woman who enjoyed a robust social life. She loved attending events and thrived on engaging people. The characteristic tempo of her southern accent, batting of her eyelashes and flash of her smile could disarm and melt a room.  She was quick to share her well-formulated and often feisty opinions on topics from faith to politics and everything in between. She held strong convictions and acted upon them, often spearheading efforts to effect lasting positive change in Athens and in the individual lives of others. The family has been truly heartened by reading the hundreds of letters and cards Virginia saved over the years, so many thanking her for the positive impact she had on their lives. One letter reads, “You bought my family groceries, put a furnace in our home to keep us warm, and counseled our family during a time of great need”. Upon hearing of her death, one dear and longtime friend responded, “This is a soul that went straight into the good Lord’s arms. It’s folks like your mom and dad that live truth and showed me the way. They will always be the fundamental and foundational parts of who I am. They guided me. I will never forget that blessing. Nor will my children.”

It was no surprise that Virginia was once nominated for woman of the year for public volunteerism in Athens. Her volunteer service activities included, but were not limited to: PTA, Cancer Drive, Elks Ardmore Axillary, Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation, Athens Historical Society, Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery and Friends of Lucy Cobb. Virginia was a driving force behind reaching an agreement to pursue the building of Oglethorpe Elementary School. She served on the board of directors for the Bridgewater Christian Home for Boys for 14 years and was appointed by the mayor to the Commission for People with Disabilities where she served as Program Chair and later as Chairman of the commission. In her words, ”I take great satisfaction in helping make improvements in the daily lives of those with disabilities and recognizing those individuals for their accomplishments”. You can also thank Virginia for convincing the mayor of Athens in 1963 that a leash law was necessary for “Fido” and thus was enacted.

Virginia cherished a loving relationship with her husband, raised three daughters, worked full time and cared for her parents, who she adored and later moved into her and Ed’s home.

Edward Crawford was the lucky guy who managed to sweep Virginia off her feet. She had a loving relationship with him for 57 years. As the story goes, Ed was a young shoe salesman in Athens where he sold Virginia a pair of red suede shoes. I guess you could say he tied the knot twice. They were married, had three girls, Karla, Lisa and Susan, and settled into a small home on East Lake Drive in Athens. Years later they moved to the 50-acre Hale Family homestead, settled by Virginia’s great grandfather, Herbert Walker Hale. We include this level of detail because remembering and maintaining the Hale family history and its impact on Athens was so very important to Virginia. They named the homestead KaLiSu Farm after the three girls. Many a good times were had at KaLiSu farm:  tending gardens, growing Christmas trees, and hosting cat fish fries and dove shoots (Virginia’s aim with a 12 gauge on the dove field was just as sharp as her wit).

As for her career, Virginia was an Executive Administrator for 32 years at Champion International-Dairy Pak Division, Athens, GA. She was proud of her ability to help navigate business issues and customer relations, often surpassing her job description. She was indeed a woman ahead of her time.

Virginia’s life was guided by her Christian faith. She was a lifelong active member of Prince Avenue Baptist Church, where her parents were charter members. She sang in the choir, often as a soloist, and had a lovely soprano voice. Occasionally, she was requested to sing for other events. She devoted to her XYZ Ministry. Known for her attentiveness to others, she maintained a personal card ministry to the elderly and those in need of support.

In closing, we, Virginia’s daughter‘s, wish to extend our immense gratitude to all her many friends, who through the years have brought such great joy to her life and for their unwavering support for us, her daughters. We would also like to thank the amazing group of dedicated women who provided such wonderful care to our mother over these past few years, especially Linda Stephens, Daisy Huff, Joan Marshall, Montine Jewel and Dorothy Wise.

We feel honored and blessed to have had a mother who lived such an exemplary life and who modeled the way for us to be strong, compassionate, independent and spiritually minded women, loving and supporting each other, our family, our friends and the world in which we live. It is our hope that the words reflected on this page bring you loving memories of our mother, Virginia, to hold in your hearts, as we hold her in ours.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Prince Avenue Baptist Church at 2131 Ruth Jackson Rd Bogart, GA. 30622.