Dr. Norman J. Crowe

Dr. Norman J. Crowe, Sr., 93, of Sylvester died on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 in Sylvester. The funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM on Friday, January 26, 2018 at Banks Funeral Home with interment to follow in the Hillcrest Cemetery. The Rev. Jerry Cooper and Dr. David Jones will officiate. Dr. Crowe was born in Sylvester on May 15, 1924 to Leila Houston Crowe and William Jewel Crowe. He practiced medicine and surgery in Sylvester until 2001, having a professional span of 52 years. Dr. Crowe graduated from Sylvester High School, where he was the Editor of the high school newspaper, and Mercer University, completing a year of graduate work and instructorship at age 21. He graduated from the Medical College of Georgia and served for a period of time as Assistant Resident Surgeon at Milledgeville State Hospital which housed 13,000 beds at that time. Dr. Crowe introduced "intensive electroshock" therapy to the staff which began a long term trend of early patient discharges. In 1945, he and Dr. H. M. Vandivers described the first visualization of the Rabies Virus under the newly arrived Electron Microscope at the University of Michigan. Dr. Crowe served 27 years as Chairman of the Worth County Board of Health in addition to several years as President of the Worth County Cancer Society and Chief of Staff for Worth County Hospital. He was an active member of many organizations including County, State and National Medical Societies. Dr. Crowe was a devoted father and practitioner of his profession. He had many interests, including farming, cattle, banking, aviation, foreign adventures and healthcare issues. Dr. Crowe was a leader in medical education and his dedication to his field was honored by being named as a "Professor Extraordinaire" by the University Inca Garcilaso; a title that is given strictly at the pleasure of the Peruvian Secretary of Education. Dr. Crowe was one of only 3 awarded this distinguished honor with the other two being an Italian Professor and a French Professor. He was a member of the First Baptist Church. He will be long remembered for his never ending charity to indigent patients. Dr. Crowe's world outlook was a permanent zest to make the world a better place, being manifested in kindness of the heart for all living things. Survivors include a special friend, Betty Ann Fudge Crowe, his children, Norman J. Crowe, Jr. (Donna) and Jimmy Crowe, all of Sylvester; grandchildren, Jay Crowe (Meredith), Christy Crowe Childers (Matt), Beth Crowe Crain (Richard), Katie Crowe McCutcheon (John Bates) and Mack Park; great-grandchildren, Anna Leigh and William Crowe, Laney and John Childers. In addition to his parents, Dr. Crowe was preceded in death by a son, David Allen Crowe on June 23, 1952. The family will receive friends on Friday from 2:00 PM until the Service Hour at Banks Funeral Home. Please sign our online guest registry at www.banksfh.com. Banks Funeral Home in Sylvester is in charge of arrangements.

Dr. Norman J. Crowe

May 15, 1924 - January 24, 2018