Crawford, Forrest L. "Lefty" 1914-2005

CRAWFORD, LEVAKE, VEVERKA, JENKIS, DAVIS

Posted By: Marilyn Norris Holmes (email)
Date: 2/28/2011 at 10:29:37

The Rock Island (IL) Argus; Dec. 16 2005

FORREST 'LEFTY' CRAWFORD

Forrest L. "Lefty" Crawford, 91, of Rock Island, died Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, at St. Anthony's Continuing Care in Rock Island.

Services will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m. at Wendt Funeral Home, 1811 15th St. Place, Moline. Visitation will be Saturday from 2 p.m. until time of the service. Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

Forrest L. Crawford was born on Oct. 31, 1914, to LeRoy and Gertrude LeVake Crawford, in Montezuma, Iowa. He married Naomi VeVerka on April 8, 1935, in Wapello County, Iowa. He later married Ellen Jenkis on July 7, 1976, in Moline. She preceded him in death on Jan. 2, 2002.

Forrest played professional baseball for the Davenport Western League and with Blythesville in the Arkansas-Missouri League. He had many baseball talents, from playing and managing to scouting and umpiring. During the mid-1940s, he was employed as superintendent of the Davenport Municipal Stadium. In the early 1950s, Forrest was a deputy sheriff and then was parks and recreation director in Davenport, and later in Dubuque, Iowa, Rock Island and Yuma, Ariz. In 1969, he was general manager (and later owner) of the Quad-City Athletic Club at the Sheraton Hotel in Rock Island, retiring in 1971.

Forrest had a passion for sports and was an avid Los Angeles Dodgers fan and ex-scout. He also enjoyed playing golf, and was especially proud of being included in the Quad-City Sports Greats book. He was a member of the Illinois Masons Trio Lodge 57 of Rock Island.

Survivors include four sons (and spouses), Doug (Judy Davis) Crawford, Colona, Lee (Janet) Crawford, Des Moines, Iowa, Michael (Debra) Crawford, Moline, and Terry (Diane) Crawford, Moline; 11 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife.