7 Johnny Crockett

Obituary – John Richard Crockett II, Louisville Courier-Journal (December 4, 2013)

CROCKETT, JOHN RICHARD II, 85, of Louisville passed away peacefully on December 3, 2013 at his home surrounded by family. He will be remembered for his love of family, his sense of humor, a passion for life, genuine respect for all others, and thousands of hours supporting his children and grandchildren in all of their endeavors.

He was born in Maysville, Kentucky on February 3, 1928 to Lide Chenault and Waller Allen Crockett.

Crockett graduated from the University of Kentucky with distinction in 1949 with a degree in Political Science. While at the University of Kentucky, he was president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, president of the Student Government Association, a member of Keys, Lances, and Omicron Delta Kappa, and member of the University of Kentucky basketball team. From 1974-1978, he served on the UK Board of Trustees. Crockett, along with others, formed the original Louisville-Jefferson County UK Alumni Club, where he served as president. He was national president of the UK Alumni Association in 1972, and received its Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1974. In 1986, he received the Louisville-Jefferson County UK Alumni Club’s All-American Award for contributions to his community and university.

Following graduation in 1949, Crockett joined First National Bank in Louisville as one of the bank’s first management trainees. He served three years in the United States Army during the Korean War, and was honorably discharged in 1953 to continue a forty year banking career in Louisville, where he was active in many community and civic organizations. Among other roles, he was president of the Better Business Bureau of Louisville, active in the Junior Achievement Project Business program and the JA board of directors, and the Family & Children’s Agency. Throughout his career, Crockett regularly taught American Institute of Banking classes to hundreds of future Kentucky bankers. Upon his retirement from First National Bank of Louisville, he continued his passion for teaching by educating new employees of the FDIC in Washington, D.C. Crockett was 60-year member of the Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville where he served as an elder, and a longtime board member at the Highland Presbyterian Weekday School.

The family gives special thanks to Pearl, Barbara, Ava and Lana for their kind and compassionate care for the past couple of years.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Anne Allen Crockett.

He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Lona Carolyn Price Crockett “Doll”, his two sons John R. Crockett III (Elaine Roberts Crockett), and Thomas Price Crockett (Cindy Purnell Crockett), a sister Lida Burgess Parker (Sanford), a sister in law Gail Price Smith, six Crockett grandchildren who made him happy every day, Samuel, Henry, Thomas, Ann Chenault, William and George, and two nephews Ralph Case and Henry “Chip” Snyder IV.

Funeral service 11 a.m. Friday at Highland Presbyterian Church, 1011 Cherokee Road with burial to follow at Cave Hill Cemetery. Visitation 3-7 p.m. Thursday at Pearson’s 149 Breckenridge Lane.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that expressions of sympathy be made to the College of Arts and Sciences Scholarship Fund at the University of Kentucky (in care of UK Office of Development, 100 Sturgill Building, Lexington, KY, 40506-0015), Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (153 Thierman Lane, Louisville, KY 40207), or The Family & Children’s Place (525 Zane Street, Louisville, KY 40203).