James Henry Crawford, Jr.

Jim Crawford, of Braselton, Georgia, went to be with the Lord on April 7, 2018 at the age of 68, after a yearlong cancer journey. Jim will be forever remembered as a devoted husband and father by his wife and best friend of 43 years, Kathey, and his two sons, Eric (Cindy), and Ryan (Jessica). He was an awesome "Pa" to three grandchildren, Charlie, Clark, and Quinn Crawford. He will also be fondly remembered by his sister, Betty (Don), and many other extended family members and dear friends. He was predeceased by his father, James Henry Crawford, his mother, Mattie Crawford, and his older brother, Charles Crawford. Jim would tell you that his three greatest accomplishments in life were accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord, marrying the love of his life, Kathey, and being the father of two wonderful sons, Eric and Ryan. He loved people and never met a stranger. He had a servant heart and a generous spirit. Many hearts have been touched by his courageous cancer journey this past year. He never wavered in his faith, positive attitude, or determination. Jim was originally from Highlands, NC. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Mars Hill College, in Mars Hill, NC and completed a Master of Arts degree at the University of Alabama. He was first employed as a teacher and coach in Charlotte, NC and later came to Georgia as headmaster of George Walton Academy. He entered the business world in 1984 as a Residential Marketing Representative at Walton EMC in Monroe, Georgia and then moved to Jackson EMC in Jefferson, Georgia as a Commercial and Industrial Marketing Representative. He became Director of Corporate Affairs for Jackson EMC in 1988 and from 1992 until his retirement in 2016 served as Vice President of Customer and District Services. Jim was actively involved in his church and community. He was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and served as a Deacon, Treasurer, Choir Member, and Kids Hope mentor at North Metro Baptist Church. Because of his leadership and planning abilities, he served on the Finance Team, the Building Committee, and the Strategic Planning Committee. He was involved in Rotary International, serving as a past president of the South Gwinnett Rotary Club, and as Assistant Governor for District 6910. He established the RYLA (Modified Outward Bound) Program for rising high school juniors and facilitated that program for 5 years. He was a graduate of the first Leadership Gwinnett Class. For over 40 years, Jim was a faithful Red Cross blood donor. Jim's hobbies included landscaping, traveling, reading and spending time with his family. Some of Jim's many memorable experiences in recent years included skydiving in Hawaii in 2014, his baptism in the Jordan River in 2014, and singing in a Christmas Concert at Carnegie Hall in 2016. A celebration of Jim's life will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. at North Metro Baptist Church, 1026 Old Peachtree Road NE, Lawrenceville, GA with Dr. Frank Cox officiating. The remains will be placed in state at the church at 3:00 p.m. A visitation for family, friends, and associates will be held on Wednesday, April 11, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Flanigan Funeral Home, 4400 South Lee Street, Buford, GA. A graveside service will be held on Friday, April 13, at 2:00 p.m. at Highlands Memorial Park, Memorial Park Drive, Highlands, NC. Memorial donations for Jim may be given to Hope for the Journey Cancer Ministry, North Metro Baptist Church, 1026 Old Peachtree Road, NE, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.