Veteran. Husband. Father. Herbert “Herbie” Crawford played many roles in life. He served in the United States Army as a Chemical Specialist, returning home from overseas a highly decorated Veteran. He then turned his attention to the food industry, helping to open several family friendly restaurants, including Olive Garden, IHOP, and Cracker Barrel.

While he also was active in community work, it was his family that came first. Herbie and his wife, Meranda, had five wonderful children: Keven (17), Alivia (8), Robert (5), Zivia (4), and little Ava, who is just three months old.  Together, they loved travelling to visit grandparents and other family members. Picnics, cookouts, holiday parties, and family reunions brought such joy to the family. Herbie was typically the life of the party, sharing jokes and bringing smiles and laughter to all he met.

In 2017, however, there were fewer smiles, as Herbie was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. The disease grew at a rapid pace. Herbie has always been a fighter and he stayed strong for so long, until he simply could fight no more. Herbie lost his final battle to cancer on April 12, 2018.

Herbie’s five children are devastated over the loss of their loving father. Little Ava was only able to spend a few months of her life knowing him. Meranda is doing her best to stay strong for her children, but concerns about costs from Herbie’s medical care, funeral, and other expenses are stressful.

Please help to honor this Veteran and ensure his children receive the support they deserve.