Michael Loren Crawford

 Michael “Mike” Crawford passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, surrounded by his loving family, after a courageous battle with lung cancer. He was born on November 4, 1957 to Loren L. Crawford and Gladys “Ferne” Crawford (Wood).

Childhood was spent on boating trips to Lake Shasta and Mayfield Lake with family friends, the Bakers and the Durands. He was an avid water skier, loving to show off his skills by sending rooster tails over the unsuspecting.

Mike was an intelligent man with an exceptionally great work ethic and was always known as a hard and dedicated worker. Mike was a journeyman checker before graduating from Kelso High School in 1976. Working in several of the local stores including Keil’s, Park ‘n Shop, and Safeway, he was working at the family store, the Westside Shopper, when he met the love of his life. Over the years, Mike worked a variety of careers, mainly delivery driver for Hostess Cake/Wonder Bread, Wilcox and Flegel, long haul truck driver, and Weyerhaeuser. 

Mike was a talented and successful man of the outdoors. He loved to fish and had stocked his fly fishing lures with his own handmade flies. Some of those flies were so impressive that they were printed in fly-tying magazines. He spent many hours restoring antique cane fishing rods. He was also a fan of pheasant hunting with his trusty dog, Sampson, who (as the song goes) was a good doggie.

Mike met Karen Hobbs in 1980 at the bowling alley when he went to watch his sister bowl. Sparks flew and as they say in the cheesiest of movies, it was love at first sight. Mike and Karen were engaged after two weeks of dating and were married on May 29, 1981. They were then joined by Jason, Monica, and Michelle. 

Summers were spent camping, with the kids and dogs (safely) rolling around in the back of the truck on road trips, or at Devils Lake in Lincoln City. Ever the ham, Mike was quite adept at telling the best ghost stories, each one ending in the typical “dad joke” sort of way. And whenever asked, Mike was always very willing to tell the stories of his wild youth. Stories that ranged from welding his high school shop teacher in his office to putting a skunk and some fireworks in the air ducts during a Kelso High pep assembly to repairing the family’s garage with Bondo after hitting it with his car while his parents were away (only for it to be discovered 15-20 years later). We suppose it’s time to announce that it was indeed Mike Crawford who fed the cow laxatives and locked it in the library at RA Long (Go Hilanders!).

Later in life, Mike spent time attending his grandchildren’s events and gardening. You would never find a weed in his flower beds… Mostly because he grew it in his garage.

Mike’s family was important to him and he was just as important to them. Mike is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Karen Crawford; his three children, Jason Crawford (Erin), Monica Harding (Matt), and Michelle Robertson (Danny); and nine grandchildren, Andrew, Eric, Evan, Abby, Jordan, Maddie, Dustyn, Corbyn and Hudson. Also surviving are his special niece and nephew, who were treated and loved just like children; Andrea Bradford (James) and Jesse Morris, and their kids Zach, Owen, Kaci and Kaydence.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Loren and Ferne Crawford, his sister, Sandy Yakkel (Crawford, Marston, Morris), and his best friend, Jim Durand.

Respecting Mike’s wishes, no funeral will be held, however, the family will be scattering his ashes at his two favorite fishing holes (which we are sworn to secrecy on those locations). 

Thank you to the special team at Eden Hospice for the care and support in Mike’s final days. You were rays of sunshine during a very dark and difficult time.

This obituary is a long-winded way of saying that Mike was one of a kind and will be sorely missed. Though many may try to live up to the legend, no one will come close to THE CRAW!