Isobel Crawford
January 3, 1928 – June 2, 2022

Isobel Crawford was born in Rochester, New York, one of ten children. At two-and-a-half, she contracted polio, and although she recovered, she was too frail to live in an industrial city. Isobel’s Aunt Carrie and Uncle George adopted her and brought her to their home in the countryside outside of Toronto. Throughout her life, Isobel kept in close relationship with her precious American family, visiting often.

Isobel was raised in the Apostolic Church on Castlefield Avenue, which is where she met the handsome Jim Crawford. Isobel later told her children that the moment she met Jim, she knew that this was the man she would marry. Jim predeceased her in 2016.

Isobel and Jim bought their first home in Scarborough, where they raised their five children. Jim was an electrical contractor whose hobby was building and renovating; he was always doing something new to the little bungalow. Isobel left her career in banking and patiently cooked, cleaned, and raised the children through all of the mess and disruption, without complaining or even rolling her eyes—at least, not very often! This quiet, good-humoured response was a trademark of Isobel’s, as she partnered with Jim through all the various home projects as well as missions and church-building projects across Ontario and in the U.S.

For most of their married life, Isobel and Jim attended Scarboro Gospel Temple, where they were both involved in numerous ministries. Their greatest contribution, however, was the 25 years they dedicated to the youth group as volunteer counsellors. They coached and counselled and prayed for hundreds of young people through the emotions, decisions, and mistakes of adolescence. One of the great joys of Isobel’s life occurred sixteen years ago when many of those “SGT Youth Alumni” banded together to create the Jim & Isobel Crawford Youth Leadership Scholarship at Tyndale University and Seminary, which awards $5000 annually.

Family was always Isobel’s first priority. She loved her five children, Carolyn (Ron) Barton, Joanne (Graham) Williams, Ruth Crawford, Rick (Marilyn) Crawford, and John (Melinda) Crawford, nine grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren unconditionally. Isobel always supported them, encouraged their dreams, and prayed for them. Her most prized possession is a “family tree quilt”, that depicts each of the 42 members of Isobel’s immediate family.

Right up until the end of her life, despite the ravages of dementia, she retained the same sweet smile, the same graciousness, and the same gentle sense of humour that have always characterized her life.

As per Isobel’s wishes, her burial will be private, followed by a joyful family celebration.