Gail Lynn (Smith) Crowder 1951-2023

“I want my head in the clouds and my feet in the sand”

Gail Lynn (Smith) Crowder, 72, died in hospice care in Danville, IL on December 20, 2023. Gail was born on October 28, 1951, in Danville, IL to Bertha Tazereth (Bailey) and Lawrence Wesley Smith. She attended Newport Elementary School and graduated valedictorian of the 1969 class at North Vermillion High School.

 Gail married on May 30, 1969 at the Friends Church in Newport, Indiana and bore two children. Before chasing her dream of going to college, she worked in advertising for the Messenger Newspaper in Attica for many years. In the 1990’s, she pursued her dream of going to college and majored in education. She was very studious and achieved graduating valedictorian both at DACC and St. Mary of the Woods. Gail went on to teach English at Newtown Middle School in the Oakwood School District in Illinois until she retired in 2013. She also had a love for dogs and traveling. She especially loved going to the ocean and Lake Michigan. 

Gail was preceded in death by her parents and half-sister, Wanda Hughes. She leaves behind her spouse, her children Terry Crowder & spouse Gary Keen, Kimberly (Crowder) & Bryan Ratcliff, four grandchildren- Kaya, Marley, Orion, and Choya Ratcliff. May she rest in peace.

A visitation will be held at Sunset DeVerter Chapel, located at 215 N. Division St. in Cayuga, IN on Jan. 6th, 2024 from 2:00 pm -4:00pm EST.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to your local Humane Society would be greatly appreciated.

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