Obituary of Mary Crabbs

Mary Crabbs, 95, of Loughman, FL went to be with the Lord on January 26, 2022. She was born on September 6, 1926, in Washington, DC to Edward Dana and Ethel Ernestine Bartlett Phinney, grew up in Westchester County, NY, and attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA where she met her husband, Robert. Later in life she earned a master’s degree in education from Hofstra University and subsequently provided administrative support to its Psychological Evaluation and Research Center. She and Robert raised six children on Long Island, NY; three boys and three Korean girls adopted as babies. Mary “retired” to Florida in 1984 from Levittown, Nassau County, NY. In Florida, she worked for the Haines City United Methodist Church and volunteered at Heart of Florida Hospital, among other activities. Mary was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Haines City, FL for almost 40 years. She was a dedicated member of the Church Choir and the XYZ Club. In recent years she also became a virtual member of her daughter-in-law’s church in Ashland, VA. Mary’s interests included building doll houses and playing piano. She loved animals and seemed to always have a few guest pets in addition to her own. She enjoyed taking visitors to Walt Disney World just to watch them have fun. Above everything else, Mary was a Christian woman who loved the Lord and served Him faithfully. She generously supported many charities and consistently put others before herself. Together with Robert, Mary initiated the annual Angel Tree program (Christmas gifts for the children of inmates) at First Presbyterian Church. She then led it for over 20 years. Her constant optimism blessed all those who knew her. She is remembered as encouraging, loving, giving, humble, organized, compassionate, and non-judgmental. Mary had a true desire to help others. Mary is preceded in death by her parents; husband (of 65 years), Robert Crabbs; daughters, Margaret Callaghan, Nancy Crabbs, and Mary Glauda; sisters, Barbara Arnold and Elizabeth Barber; brothers-in-law, Chester Wetzel and Tom Arnold. She is survived by her sons, David Crabbs (Eva), Robert Crabbs and Kenneth Crabbs (Linda); sons-in-law, Jeffrey Callaghan and Robert Glauda; grandchildren, Jennifer Frey, Robert Crabbs, Michael Crabbs, Christian Crabbs and Carolyn Glauda; great grandchild Nicholas Crabbs; brother, Edward Phinney (June); sister, Margaret Wetzel; and brother-in-law, Colan Barber. Services will be held at First Presbyterian Church Haines City and in New Hampshire. Her final resting place will be in Pine Grove Cemetery in Newport, New Hampshire. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mary's honor to Holt International- https://holtinternational.org/