Dr. William A. Crawford, Jr. DDS went to be with his Lord and Savior on December 24, 2017. Al was born March 26, 1928 to William A. Crawford, Sr. and Addye Sims Crawford in Beaumont, Texas. He attended elementary school in Beaumont and graduated from high school in Tucson, Arizona. After high school, he served in the U.S. Navy, returning to Tucson after naval service to attend the University of Arizona.

He returned to Texas and attended North Texas State College, now the University of North Texas, where he met and married Gladys Hudgins, his true love, former college biology teacher, soul mate and best friend, on September 5, 1953 at the Plainview Baptist Church west of Krum, TX.

In 1952 he entered dental school at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri, transferring the following year to Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, where he earned a Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree, graduating in 1956.

Dr. Crawford practiced dentistry in Denton from 1956 until his retirement in 1989. He was a member of the American Dental Association, Texas Dental Association, American Academy of Orafacial Pain, and held a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry. He lectured throughout the U.S. and Canada on Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction and authored numerous scientific articles in dental and medical journals.

He was a licensed pilot with commercial and float plane ratings, a real estate broker, and a certified real estate appraiser. After retirement from dental practice, he was active in real estate, equity investments, property management, farming and ranching. He and Gladys traveled widely in the USA, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, Israel and Egypt.

Dr. Crawford was elected to four terms on the Denton ISD School Board, serving two years as Vice President and two years as President. He was a former member of the Denton Hi-Noon Lions Club and member of the Denton Chamber of Commerce. He served on the City of Denton Airport Board, and City of Denton Building Code Board. He was a long-time member and deacon emeritus at the First Baptist Church of Denton.

Survivors include his wife, Gladys Hudgins Crawford of Denton, daughter, Kala Crawford Marsh of Denton, sons, Kal Crawford and Kurt Crawford and wife Marnie all of Coppell, Texas, seven grandchildren, Will, Charlie and James Marsh of Denton, Summer, Cole and Richard Crawford of Coppell, Karis Charlesworth of Indianapolis, sister Patsy Lyle of Beaumont, and several nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by a sister Jolyn Harris.

The family will be at DeBerry Funeral Directors on Monday, January 1, 2018 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. for visitation.  There will be a Celebration of Life Service in the Chapel of the Denton Good Samaritan Village, 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 2, 2018 with Rev. Cliff Feeler officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Good Samaritan Society-Denton Village, 2500 Hinkle Dr., Denton, TX 76201.