William Crowe

William “Bill” Crowe, 91, of Athens, GA passed away in his home on April 22, 2025. He was with his family in his final days as well as his little dog “Daisy,” who has been his constant companion for 10 years.

Bill was the son of the late Lonnie Crowe and Frances Statham of Statham, Georgia, where he was born and raised with his little sister, Jerrye. Black and white photos of him at the time suggest he was quite the mischief maker.

Along with his parents, Bill is preceded in death by his wife, Sybil Crowe, and son William “Billy” Crowe, Jr. Bill is survived by his sister, Jerrye Crowe Martin; his son David Crowe (Gay) from Athens; his wife’s children who he loved like his own: Kerry Shapiro (Stacy) from Hawley, Minnesota; and Mikki Spinks (Jack) and Krisy Barber (Mike) both from Athens. Bill, called both “Papa” and “Pop,” was a proud grandfather and was loved and adored by his ten grandchildren: Kara Crowe Woodall, Mandi Kirk, Ceci Crowe Baaklini, Jamee Crowe, Christopher Barber, Evan Shapiro, Dillon Levy, Misti Hughes and Karli Prater. He is also survived by a small army of nieces and nephews.

Bill was drafted into the U.S. Army and after two years of service, he attended the University of Georgia, where he was a member of ATO and graduated with a degree in Business. After graduating from UGA, Bill worked for the Georgia Department of Revenue for the entirety of his career until he retired as a regional manager.

Bill was always the charmer but he met both his match and his soulmate, Sybil Paulette Shapiro, and they married in 1987. Together, the two loved spending time with family, and taking trips both by themselves and with friends. They loved traveling to the Smoky Mountains and to the West Coast to visit Sybil’s son Kerry and his family. Of course, upon returning from California Bill often professed repeatedly he was a “Southerner,” and that San Francisco was “a nice place to visit.”

Bill was an avid sports fan and played both baseball and basketball growing up. His basketball team at Statham High School, where he graduated, went undefeated two seasons in a row. He was statistician for his son David’s high school football team and could be seen during the games patrolling the sidelines in sporty green knit shorts and a clipboard. He loved all things UGA, especially the football team, and the last two National Championships provided fuel for his rocket boosters. He also loved playing golf with his “golf buddies” and continued playing until only recently.

Bill also loved the local YMCA, his Sunday School Class at Beech Haven (The Glory Class), and his neighborhood where he was surrounded by great friends. Bill was known for his kindness and will be greatly missed.

Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 2PM at Beech Haven Baptist Church in Athens, Ga. The family will receive friends beginning at 1PM until service time. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Athens YMCA, 915 Hawthorne Avenue, Athens, GA 30606.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, Watkinsville, GA is in charge of arrangements.

The family would like to provide a special thanks to Krisy Barber and Mandi Kirk who cared for Bill with loving kindness in his final weeks.