James Ira Crews Jr.

Born in Jacksonville to Ira and Mattie Crews, on February 9th, 1946, Jim was the oldest of three children and grew up in White House and Jacksonville, Florida. His family traveled extensively across America to all of the contiguous United States. He graduated from Terry Parker High School (Class of ‘64). He was very involved in Boy Scouts and Methodist Youth Fellowship and served as President of Methodist city-wide sub district. He went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Florida State University. He was very proud to be a “sixth generation Floridian.”

Jim was a veteran of the Navy during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Millington, Tennessee where he was editor of the navy base newspaper and in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where he worked on the Admirals' Staff.

Jim’s pursuits, interests, and professional life were often centered around community service and the outdoors. He was an avid sailor and taught his two daughters with his first wife of 20 years, Bunny Ferrall, to love the wind and the sea. He enjoyed music and worked as a DJ in college and even sold records to other service men in Cuba when he was in the Navy. He was a great photographer. He loved nature, bike riding, going on hikes, and ice cream.

He lived for 50 years in Tallahassee where he worked as a consultant for the American Lung Association, The Trust for Public Land, and served from 1976-1982 as a Leon County Commissioner. After his election to the Board, he worked for neighborhood, social, and environmental concerns. He was an advocate of tree protection and was a founding supporter of the Refuge House, which provides service to victims of domestic violence. He served as Board Chairman from 1980-1981.

He is survived by his two daughters, Jenny Rushing and Carrie Williams; grandchildren Kyle Ott, Sarah and Robby Rushing, Ben and Josh Williams; sister Claire Gunter and brother Bob Crews, their families and children, his goddaughter Marcia Forbes and many Crews cousins. He follows his wife, Tricia Smoothwater, to heaven.

There will be a Memorial Service in Jim’s honor at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in the Garden Cottage on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in memory of Jim Crews to The Refuge House in Tallahassee (https://refugehouse.com/support/).

James (Jim) Ira Crews, Jr.