Lydia Lucas

Lydia Lucas (nee Crawford) died peacefully on August 27, 2023, after a long illness. Lydia was born in Kentucky on July 20, 1930, as the third of nine children of Lydia W. and John William Crawford, Jr. She leaves to mourn her son Terry Lucas and daughter Denise Davidson, her sisters Claire Appiah and Anne Caldwell, and her friend Marianne Smith.

Lydia was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, and sister. She was a gentle soul who loved her family, children, drawing designs for paper dolls and doll clothes, chocolate, and ice cream. She also spent time documenting her family history.

What follows is her history from the notes she wrote:

Lydia’s mother was Lydia W. Crawford. Her mother was born in 1901 in Bourbon, Kentucky to W.C. Crawford, a high school math teacher (1878 – 1952) and Dora Crawford (nee Stubbs), a hospital aide (1879 – 1944). Lydia’s mother died in 1985 in California.

Lydia’s father was John William Crawford, Jr. He was born in 1896 in Texas to John William Crawford, Sr., a stone mason who worked on the capital building in Austin, Texas (1855 – 1944) and Fanny Black (1858 – 1929). Lydia’s father died in 1976 in California.

Lydia’s parents attended and graduated from Howard University. When they met, they were surprised to find that they had the same last name – Crawford! They became friends and John “pinned” Lydia with his fraternity pin. After they graduated, they temporarily parted ways to attend different graduate schools. Lydia earned her master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and John earned his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduate school, they each stayed in the city of their graduate school for two years to earn money to pay their graduate school loans. After marrying, Lydia’s parents first lived in Georgia, then Kentucky before moving to Canton, Ohio where Lydia’s father worked as a social worker for 35 years for the Urban League. Her mother worked as a special education teacher before marrying and again later after the youngest of their children graduated from high school.

Lydia’s parents, Lydia and John Crawford, Jr. knew they wanted a large family and had nine children: Lois; Barbara Jean; Lydia W.; John W. Crawford, III; Doris; E. Beatrice; Anne F.; Kathryn; and Claire. Lydia had fond memories of growing up in a large family. She readily admitted that she was the “tomboy” among her sisters. Her strong Christian faith began when she was a child and the entire family attended church together in Canton, Ohio. Eighty years later she still enjoyed listening to and singing along with favorite hymns such as “The Old Rugged Cross.”

Lydia had asthma from a very young age and twice had to spend a year at home tutored by her mother; once was during third grade and the second time was during high school. Lydia thought the walk to school was “many blocks long and up a hill” -- she did not mention if the walk was uphill both ways! Following high school graduation, she continued her education by commuting to Kent State University. Later she completed a two-year associate degree in urban studies at Cleveland State University. And years later she took business courses at Cuyahoga Community College.

Lydia’s working career included working at Cleveland City Hall under four different mayors (Ralph Locher, Carl Stokes, Dennis Kucinich, and Mike White) in community development and consumer affairs. Her last

position was in the Glenville neighborhood serving four elementary schools and two junior high schools as the director of a tutoring program for special education students.

Lydia also wrote simple poetry and kept a list of guidelines for life. One poem is:

“I love you now and I’ll love you later.

I’ll take a bow and make it greater.”

Her guides for living were:

1. Keep learning.

2. Keep Loving.

3. Love God with all your soul and strength.

4. Keep laughing.

5. Keep forgetting things that are not good.

6. Keep dreaming about the future and do useful planning for the future.

7. Dress and look your best.

8. Keep laboring and keep leaning on God.

9. Keep listening to God.

10. Keep life every day in guidance from God and obeying His commandments.

Lydia believed that God always sent her an angel to bless and assist her at the proper time.

Lydia’s family wishes to extend a special thank you to the staff of Crossroads Hospice and Greenbrier Health Center for their compassionate care of Lydia. To honor Lydia’s memory, please do an act of kindness for a child.

Private family services will be held in California.