Olga Josephine Crews

It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of Olga Josephine Crews. Her life was defined by generosity, devotion to family, faith in God, and a determination to ensure her family was cared for regardless of the difficulties she encountered in her life.

Olga was born in Charlottesville, VA, and most recently called the city of Dayton, OH her home. Upon graduating Lane High School in 1963, she became a Licensed Practical Nurse specializing in surgery. While practicing at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN she met her future husband Larry Crews through her best friend Derella, who was dating Larry's brother, David, at the time. After marrying in 1968, they had four sons - Larry II, Lionel, Omar, and Orville - before Larry joined the Air Force in 1975. She traveled the world with her family, spending time in Mississippi, Texas, California, Tennessee, West Germany, and Dayton, OH. When Larry retired from the Air Force in 1995 they moved to Kansas City, MO before landing in Columbus, OH where Larry worked for the state of Ohio and Olga worked for Kohls as the jewelry counter supervisor. In 2003 she welcomed her grandchildren Amelia and Emma, followed by Lillian in 2004, William in 2005, and Natalee in 2010. When Larry and Olga retired in 2014, they moved back to Dayton, OH to be closer to family. After Larry's sudden passing in 2014, she lived with her son Omar and his family.

She is survived by her sons Larry, Lionel, and Orville, her daughters-in-law Sarah, Lori, and Virginia, and her grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Larry, daughter-in-law Tina, and son Omar.

Olga's most defining characteristic was her resilience. She worked as a surgical nurse, one of the most demanding jobs in the nursing field. With four young boys in tow she became a military spouse, traveling from place to place often with little advance warning. The two times that Larry was on remote duty, first in Korea and then in Turkey, she had to manage a large family alone while living in a new location. She survived open heart surgery to replace a heart valve in 2014, and breast cancer with a mastectomy in 2019. Despite these difficulties, she was notable for her caring nature, always looking out for her family before herself. Throughout her life she maintained a steadfast faith in God, sustaining her through the tough times and giving her joy in the good times. "She was very much a family person. Knowing Josephine was knowing you could depend on her. She could be serious, and she could be lighthearted. We had each other's backs over the years." --Derella Crews, life-long friend, and sister-in-law.

Please join the family for Olga's celebration of life at the Centerville Church of Christ, located at 1411 Old Spring Valley Ct, Centerville, OH on Saturday, October 8th, 2022. The family will greet visitors beginning at Noon, with the service starting at 2:00PM.

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