Olfa Crowder

Olfa Crowder, 88, of 431 Crowfields Drive, Asheville, died Friday, May 28, 2004, at his home. A native of Jupiter, he was a son of the late W.W. and Ashia Scalf Crowder. In the late 1930’s, he and his brothers formed a musical group called the Crowder Brothers and performed at Ryman Auditorium with the Grand Ole Opry. He was later inducted into the Country Music Association Hall of Fame. Following graduation from Red Oak High School, he attended Asheville-Biltmore College and NC State College where he majored in radio operations, receiving a commercial radio operator’s license. He attended the Naval Radio School in 1942 and, following graduation, specialized as a radio operator on a PBY aircraft where he served for more than two years. After receiving a medical discharge, he was appointed as a civil service radio instructor at the Naval Air Station. Following the war he returned home and accepted a teaching position in the radio department of Lee H. Edwards High School. Coming from a family involved in the printing industry, Mr. Crowder started Crowder Enterprises, an office supply and printing establishment, in Canton and Hendersonville and later moved his business to Smoky Park Highway in Asheville where he remained until his retirement. He also focused his attention on other endeavors including real estate and for several years he did appraisals for the NC State Highway Department, Southern Railway and Carolina Power and Light Company. Mr. Crowder served as a Boy Scout leader. He was a member of both the Canton and Candler Lions Club and Montmorenci United Methodist Church where he served as the first president of the newly organized Methodist Men. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Helen Roberts Crowder; two sons, Roberts Crowder and his wife Janet of New Hampshire and Dr. Julian Crowder and his wife Paula of Asheville; five grandchildren, Paige of San Jose, CA, Robin of New York, Ryan of New Hampshire, Heidi and Winston of Asheville; a great-granddaughter, Molly of New York and a brother, Warren Crowder, of Lakeland, FL. Funeral services will be 11:00 am Monday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Revs. Dan Lyons and Dr. Neil Haynes officiating. Entombment will follow at Lewis Memorial Park. His family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 pm Sunday at the funeral home and request that memorials be made to Montmorenci United Methodist Church, PO Box 610, Candler, NC 28715.