Ivy Katherine Tucker Crawford, a beloved member of the Kilgore community, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2025, at the age of 71. Born in Kilgore on September 11, 1954, she dedicated her life to nurturing her family, extended family, and her students as a Biology Teacher at Pine Tree Junior High.

Mrs. Crawford earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin, where her intelligence and love of science shone brightly. As a teacher, she was known for her ability to make the sciences accessible to all students and pouring her time and resources into her students, marking her a peerless educator among colleagues. Ivy treasured the opportunity to share her love of science and the wonders of the natural world, instilling curiosity and respect for nature in each of her students.

Ivy was a devoted mother to her two sons, Kevin Crawford and Matthew Crawford, loving mother-in-law to Amy Crawford, and cherished grandmother to her grandchildren: Elizabeth, Cayce, Kaitlyn, Joseph, Andrew, Samantha, and Zachary. She loved her Tucker and Lanier cousins and was a friend to many throughout her life. Her proudest accomplishment was her family, for whom she hosted and cooked for at every opportunity.

Ivy enjoyed a variety of hobbies anchored in her love for nature. She found joy in birds, plants, and flowers, searching for ways to bring them closer in and around her home. She took great pleasure in exploring the natural world with her mother and grandchildren on multiple adventures around the United States and throughout the world.

Ivy was a dedicated member of the First Baptist Church in Kilgore, where she served and found fellowship for many years. Through teaching Sunday school and performing with the hand-bell choir, she ministered to others.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Richard (Rick) Pitt Crawford. She is also reunited with her parents, Dolores Jean Matthew Tucker and John Cline Tucker, Jr. who set her on the right path and supported her throughout their lives.

A graveside service will be held in her honor on December 23, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Kilgore Memorial Gardens Cemetery, where family and friends will gather to celebrate her remarkable life and the incredible legacy she leaves behind. Ivy will be deeply missed, but her spirit, kindness, and love will forever remain in the hearts of those she touched.