John Crawford Hicks II was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 25, 1926 and passed away after a lengthy illness on February 20, 2016 at home in Shreveport, Louisiana. Crawford was the son of William Oscar and Beulah Weaks Hicks who both died in his early childhood. He was reared by his aunt, Ada Hicks Hall and her husband, Bruce. He grew up in Decatur, Georgia and graduated from Decatur Boys High School.
At age seventeen, Crawford enlisted in the US Navy and served as a naval aviation radioman during World War II. After his discharge, he attended the University of Georgia in Athens where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He graduated from the University of Georgia Atlanta campus and began a career in sales in Atlanta.
In 1952, Crawford married Nancy Janet Harber of Commerce, GA. His career brought the family to Shreveport in 1967. Crawford joined Frymaster Corp. in 1972 and retired in 1991 as Vice President of Sales. He had a distinguished career with a national reputation for his industry knowledge and expertise. Crawford helped build Frymaster from a regional presence to international leadership in its industry.
Crawford enjoyed friendships he made through membership at the First Presbyterian Church, his Springlake neighborhood and the Shreveport Country Club. He was an avid golfer and in his later years enjoyed playing gin rummy with friends Jerry Sayres, George Drake and especially his fellow Georgia native Dr. George Beach.
Crawford was the self-appointed poet laureate of Marlborough Circle. He thoroughly enjoyed writing and reciting poems he wrote for weddings, birthdays, reunions and other special events. His grandchildren were amazed at his ability to recite the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales in Middle English that he had memorized in high school.
Having lost his parents at a young age, Crawford early established a strong work ethic, a deep sense of fair play and the tenacity to persevere through life’s obstacles. His family appreciated Crawford’s character trait of desiring to always do the right thing as inspired by his favorite Bible verse, Micah 6:8—He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Crawford was a loyal husband and caregiver in their later years to Janet, his wife of sixty three years who predeceased him in October of 2015. He was also predeceased by his half-sister, Kitty Winters Hookins of Durban, South Africa. He is survived by his children, James Jeffrey Hicks and his wife, Jane Sutton Hicks of Atlanta, GA and Nancy Hicks Broyles and husband, William Hilton Broyles II of Shreveport. Known to them as “Gramp” he was exceedingly proud of his eight grandchildren, William Hilton Broyles III (Chelsey), Jane Kennedy Hicks, James Crawford Broyles (Ila), Nancy Crawford Hicks, Rebecca Alice Broyles, Mary Boyce Hicks Diehl (John), Virginia Broyles Lamb (Rich) and Frances Patton Hicks; and four great grandchildren, Hilton, Clyde, Nell and Ollie.
The family is thankful for and grateful to Natasha Simmons Murff for the loving care that she has provided for the last three years. Natasha coordinated a special team of devoted caregivers who comforted Crawford during his illness. These dear ladies are Aseline Davis, Lauvata Drew, Charmaine Dusesoi, Rosalind Garner, Ronesha Murff, and Roberta Taylor. Thanks also to Kay Simmons, Juanita Frederick, Mary Ann McCoy and Rachel Williams for their many years of faithful assistance.
Gramp now enjoys the assurance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his family is joyful to know of his reunion with his parents whose love he had little chance to experience during his lifetime.
Graveside services will be 1:30 p.m. Thursday March 3, 2016 at the Grey Hill Cemetery, Commerce. The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
On line condolences may be made to the family at iviefuneralhomecommerce.com
Ivie Funeral Home, Commerce.
