Freestone County, Texas
Obituaries



The Teague Chronicle - November 24, 2011 edition



JOY FAY PHILLIPS CRAWLEY

Graveside services for Joy Fay Phillips Crawley, long time resident of Cotton Gin, Texas, 
were held on Sunday, November 20, 2011, at Cotton Gin Cemetery with the Reverend 
Marcus Sheffield officiating. Herb Casey led the music. Her grandsons, Bo Bulger, Jeff 
Bulger, Kent Crawley, JC Crawley, David Keenum, Richard Henry and Andrew 
Leighton served as honorary pallbearers.

Joy was born on September 16, 1933, in Mexia, the youngest daughter of Davis and 
Pearlie Phillips. She was a nurse for many years working at Mexia and Teague hospitals 
and for physicians including Doctors Carrington and Barger, Doctors Cox and Halbert, 
Dr. Allison and Dr. Stephens. After retirement, she was a hospice volunteer and earned a 
five year pin. She loved being a nurse and helped provide care for 3 generations of 
patients in Freestone and Limestone County. She was a member of First Baptist Church, 
Mexia and held leadership and teaching roles in the Sunday School department. She 
loved to cook and share recipes. Joy lost her long and courageous battle with Alzheimer 
disease on November 18, 2011. She will be remembered for her generosity and her sweet 
smile.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bud Crawley, her parents, her brothers, Cecil, 
Raymond, Melvin, Billy Joe and Robert O'Neal Phillips and one sister Iva Burnett.

Joy is survived by a large and loving family including daughter Deb Bulger and her 
husband, Rick, of Millbury Massachusetts, Willie Crawley and his wife Kathy, Andy 
Crawley and his wife Carla, Jerry Crawley and his wife Dona, all of Cotton Gin. She was 
blessed with many grandchildren and great grand children including Bo Bulger, wife 
Amanda and children Elijah, Garrett, Melina, Nathaniel, and twins Abbie Joy and Levi of 
Danielson Connecticut; Jeff Bulger, wife Liz and sons, Andrew and Casey; Amanda 
Leighton, husband, Andrew and sons Christopher and William all of Millbury, MA; 
Allyson Keenum, husband David and daughter Layni of New Hope; Kent Crawley of 
Mexia; Kellie Crawley and children Ziyun and Veya of Waco; J.C. Crawley of Conway, 
Arkansas; Rachel Henry and husband Richard, of Dallas; and Katy, Chloe and Kylee 
Sherber of Itasca and Carley Lehman of Russleville, Kentucky. She is also survived by 2 
sisters-in-law, Lee West of Wortham and Leta Glass of Mexia as well as numerous nieces 
and nephews.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Fairview Manor Nursing home for their kindness 
and compassion; they became part of the family. They also thank the nurses at THEE 
Hospice for providing care with so much dignity. And finally, “special thanks to Emma 
Dabney, whose care enabled our parents to spend their last precious years at home 
together.”

Joy requested that donations be made to a hospice organization or the Cotton Gin 
Cemetery. You may sign the guestbook online at www.porterfuneralhometx.com. Porter 
Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.