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William "Sandy" Marr Alexander Crawford

October 12, 2011

William "Sandy" Crawford

At the young age of 59, Sandy's unexpected passing has left a large void in the lives of all those who knew and loved him. Sandy will be missed especially by his loving Wilva but she shares this sadness with all of his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews - Anne; Janet, Manny, Emma and Andrew Hanevelt; Jamie, Karen, Michelle, Casey Brown and Nicole; Casey, Carla, Jack and Devan; and Katy, Nai, Kelsey, Amanda and Nicholas. Also Wilva's sisters Betty (husband Ken, children Lisa and Peter) and Pat (husband Jerry, children Steven, Jo-anne, Sherra, Greg). Sandy will also be remembered lovingly by all of his good friends Alison, Jim, Bob, David, Corrine, Gillian, Dan, Neil and of course the notorious BOFC gang - Jim and Audie, Ted and Marilyn, Ken and Marilynne, Carl and Janice. Sandy was predeceased by his mother Pat in 2004 and father Bill in 1984.

Sandy was a thoughtful and caring man who appreciated the quality of all good things and was quick to recommend and share his findings with others. Sandy's high standards extended to everything that touched him on a daily basis. Sandy was a conflicted man. He loved to flip through magazines and read his morning paper and even the occasional hardbound book, but most recently these were done on his Kindle (the font adjustment was a big plus). He was truly a gadget guy who owned Apple product before it was cool and continued this allegiance to his most prized appliance - his iPhone. To make Sandy truly happy one just had to introduce him to a new and useful application. The glow would last for days. He used his toys for good use of course, researching all the new restaurant openings and the reviews that followed. His bookmarks extended to all things food, art and design and most likely boating. Sandy's love for boats was clear although he never owned the boat of his dreams on earth. He may very well be sailing one now. Sandy's love of art and design combined with his ability to connect with others served him well as his job with Canada Wide Media turned into a successful and long career.

As for family, Sandy cleverly avoided the sometimes unpleasant and messy tasks of raising children of his own in exchange for being a loving and caring uncle to all of his many nieces and nephews. He provided guidance, advice and comfort mixed with humor and a personal commitment to their success. They will miss his support and encouragement. Sandy became the stable and supportive older brother in whatever role he found himself which is a true talent. Sandy loved quality in all things in his life. He used this standard for choosing his material things but he worked hard on raising the standard in the people he loved. We can honor his memory by living up to his values daily and encourage others to do so as well.

A gathering to honour and remember Sandy will be held Friday October 21st, 2:00 pm, at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, 3811 Point Grey Road, Vancouver.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Sandy's name to St. Paul's Hospital Foundation.

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Messages of Condolence

To Wilva and all the Crawffords, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you can all find some comfort by gathering together and reminiscing about Sandy. No doubt there will be a lot of tears but also a lot of laughs. My thoughts are with you. Take care of each other. ~ Christy Morton Tetlow

To Wilva and the Crawford family, We were saddened to hear about Sandy's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in these difficult moments. Sincerely, Marc and Dominique ~ Marc Germain

What a beautiful tribute. I will remember Sandy as an impeccable and courageous 'gentle' man who lived a wonderful life without complaint. I'm grateful for Sandy's friendship and support and so sorry for this great loss. Many blessings to you Wilva and to all of us who loved Sandy. ~ Ian MacLeod

Wilva, I am very sorry to hear about Sandy's passing. I feel very fortunate to have worked with Sandy on our strata council and have always admired his passion and dedication. My sincerest condolences to you and your family. Derek ~ Derek El Banna

I was deeply saddened when I heard of Sandy's passing. I had the pleasure of working with Sandy over the last 20 years, in fact it was Sandy who hired me 20 years ago and set me on my path in publishing, Sandy was a great friend and mentor. Wilva and family my thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad time. ~ Rick Thibert

Our sincerest condolences to Wilva and the Crawford family. It’s been many years since the early days of growing up together in West Vancouver. Our families were close and always supportive of each other. Fifty years later I can still remember Sandy's smile and enthusiasm. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this most difficult time. ~ Martin Jones

To Wilva and the Crawford family. I was saddened to hear the news of Sandy's passing. I know he'll be watching over you all in spirit. Our loved ones are always around us even though they are no longer here. My deepest sympathy to you all in this difficult time. ~ Gail Takahashi

My heart goes out to you, Wilva, and to all of the Crawfords on the loss of a wonderful and kind man. Sadly, I've been out of touch with Sandy for a number of years, as happens, but I have thought of him often, with fond memories of working together during his agency days and later through Canada Wide. I'm truly sorry that I will be out of town on the day of Sandy's memorial. My thoughts will be with you. ~ Alison Higgins

I am so sorry to hear of Sandy's death. Sandy and I were good friends in high school and kept in touch for some time after that. We discovered that my mum and Sandy's dad went to high school together in Vancouver! Life got in the way and we fell out of touch after many moves, family changes etc. We had a nice visit at the Vancouver Boat Show this past February which I enjoyed then but value even more now. My memories of Sandy are all those of a kind person with a great smile and a fun sense of humor. Please accept my thoughts and sincere condolences in this time of loss. ~ Don Prittie

Somewhere a journey begins at the end, Of this worldly existence we know, Somewhere a path stretches over the skies, And rivers of memory flow, Somewhere a silence is heard far away, And the brightness of day fills the night, Where trials of life are resolved into peace, When a soul finds its way to the light. So sorry we did not get to see Sandy on our recent visit, you are in our thoughts xx ~ Anne & Barbara

I worked with Sandy for many years at Canada Wide Magazines where he and I forged a friendship based on similar views of the world. During my final months there, Gillian, Sandy and I struggled to figure out bids and tricks from our bridge teacher Sheila during lunch-time sessions in Sandy's Art Department. I never mastered the damn game and can only hope he did. I was looking forward to reconnecting over dinner with Sandy and several others from Canada Wide on October 12th. Sadly that was not to be. My condolences to Wilva and to brother Casey and, of course, to other members of the family. ~ Bonnie Irving

Wilva, it’s been years since I’ve seen you, but I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am about your tremendous loss of Sandy. And, Casey, I didn’t want to get weepy with you in the hallway of Canada Wide when I saw you this week, but please accept my heartfelt condolences for the loss of your extraordinary brother. I say extraordinary because in the 15 or more years I had of knowing him – from when he first came to Canada Wide and we worked together to many years later when I started coming into the office again, he was clearly struggling with huge health burdens. Yet never did I hear him complain, or even bring it up. A few times I asked him how he was, and he would pause a little – perhaps wondering if it was okay to not be entirely honest about it – and he would always say “I’m good!” And then he would be asking about me. In time I started greeting him instead with “It’s wonderful to see you!” so not to put pressure on him to reassure me about how his health was. But also because it was true – it was wonderful see him. I found him inspiring, and he was funny, too. I remember (many years ago!) him very typically teasing me by asking “What did you do with your maternity clothes – did you give them away?” after I had had my first baby, saying that was probably it. “I’m not telling!” was my laughing response (and I guess we all know now that I didn’t stop at one). He was so full of wit and warmth – and another clear memory I have is that he was always mentioning you, Wilva, and you, Casey. He always was so obviously dedicated to his family. Mostly what I want to say about Sandy is this: I have always admired about him how no matter how ill he was and how utterly exhausting that would be at times, this courageous man got up everyday and dressed with care, worked hard, was interested in the concerns of the people he worked with, loved his family above all, and, from what I saw, kept alight a spirit more vibrant than that of many a person not challenged by physical struggles as he was. For me his laughing, warm, wonderful energy and wit will remain in many memories. Once again, my deepest sympathies to all of your family. ~ Carol Pope

So great to have been at the ceremony today, and I was deeply touched by the bonds that people had with Sandy and the meaning they saw in his life. How wonderful to see that in such a concentrated, loving environment, today. His family and friends were the beneficiaries of his spirit, including myself. I loved the comments about Sandy in the formal part of today's proceedings, and the informal ones, and I know he will live on in all of us. Much love to all the Crawfords! ~ David Morton