Edward Francis Crowley Jr

Edward Francis (Ted) Crowley, Jr. passed away on July 21, 2019 at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, at the age of 71 years old. Ted was born in Winchester, Massachusetts on October 15, 1947 to Edward F. and Rita C. Crowley.
Growing up in an Army family, Ted’s love of travel began at an early age as he and his siblings traversed to Fort Benning, GA, Scituate, MA, Germany, Fort Leavenworth, KS, Madrid, Spain; and West Point, NY, where his father Lieutenant Colonel Edward Crowley retired. Ted graduated from Madrid High School in Torrejon, Spain in 1965. An avid athlete, Ted excelled in basketball, tennis, and golf. He graduated from Duke University in 1971 with a B.A. in Political Science. He went on to get his teaching certificate from State University of New York, New Paltz. Ted was a dedicated teacher, inspiring and mentoring students across the East Coast. He held faculty positions in Social Studies, Spanish, Political Science, and Math at many junior and senior high schools, including: James I. O’Neill High School, Monroe-Woodbury Junior and Senior High Schools, The O’Neal Day School, Saint Peter’s School, Liberty High School, and most recently Statesville High School. Ted retired from a 30 year career in education from Iredell Statesville Schools in 2012.
Ted was a motivational and accomplished coach of many junior high and high school teams, crafting successful and cohesive teams with his strong leadership, skill, energy, and empathy. Ted coached girls’ basketball, high school boys’ golf teams, tennis, and track. He kept in touch and followed the careers of his many students long after they graduated and was a father figure to many without. Ted was honored with coaching awards throughout his career, such as winning Golf Coach of the Year for the North Piedmont Conference for three consecutive years from 2010-2012.
Ted is survived by his daughter, Cassandra Claire Fusco (Gregory Fusco), his love Nancy Rogers Hughes (and her children Laura and Takeshi Ikuma, Amy and Matt Radzom), sister Carol A. Seissiger (fiancé Bob Beson), brother Kevin J. (Susan) Crowley, and brother Brian M. (Laura) Crowley. His nieces and nephews include Micaela Crowley, Liam (Rebecca) Crowley, Patrick Crowley, Elizabeth (Kyle) Black, and Sara Crowley. He is also survived by his step children and former wife, Sean Smith, Robert (Jennifer) Smith, and Pamela Baumann.
Family and friends remember Ted as an independent and kind-hearted spirt, true gentleman, sportsman, and generous father, friend, colleague, and advocate. With his indelible humor, intelligence, unique world view and positive outlook, Ted had an innate ability to talk to anyone and make people feel both heard and valued. Ted loved the ocean; the family remembers fondly countless hours on the beach and body surfing in the waves of Cape Cod, MA and Ocean Isle Beach, NC. He enjoyed traveling across the country and abroad with his love Nancy and 1965 high school classmates. An avid sports enthusiast, he was often found cheering-on his favorite sports teams, especially the West Point (Army) Knights, the Duke Blue Devils, the Boston Red-Sox and the Patriots. He was a role model of ethical conduct and the joy of acquiring knowledge. Ted defined a life well-lived, and though his presence will be profoundly missed, we are all blessed and better to have known him.

A Funeral Mass for Mr. Crowley will be held Thursday, July 25, 2019 at St. Therese Catholic Church, 217 Brawley School Rd., Mooresville, NC 28117 at 11:00 A.M. Thursday. Burial will follow in Oakwood Cemetery in Statesville. Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 24, 2019 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Nicholson Funeral Home.

Memorial may be given to SECU House, 1970 Baldwin Lane, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103. Online condolences may be left at www.nicholsonfunerals.com . Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the Crowley family.