Kenneth E. Crawford, age 94, of New Castle, passed away the night of November 5, 2023, at his residence.

Born in Greenfield, PA on November 29, 1928, he was the son of Edward T. and Mae Elizabeth (Buzzard) Crawford.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Gay E. (Eger) Crawford, whom he married May 2, 1974.

Ken was an amazing man. He was a wonderful loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Ken went into the Navy at the age of 17 to do his part during WWII. There, he served as an Electrician's Mate on the USS Rupertus in the Pacific Theater. That is where his life-long hobby of collecting swords began.

After the war, he had various jobs. He worked for Allegheny Plastics as a draftsman where he designed a circular slide rule. Seeking more, he learned that he had to finish his degree in order to go further with his career. He got his degree from the University of Pittsburgh in economics through a senatorial scholarship and became a systems engineer at IBM. One of his projects was designing a system for Thrift Drug to find any possible drug interactions with their customers' prescriptions. Some years later, he worked in IT for Duquesne Light for which he managed and designed all of their computer security.

Outside the realm of jobs, he was a "jack of all trades." Ken and his wife, Gay, bought a 200-year-old house that they renovated for the love of it. He did electrical, plumbing, masonry, insulating, landscaping, gardening, etc.

On the side of recreation, he loved history, going to the theater, opera, ballet, and to visit forts. He also loved to dance. Dancing was the best! He did a mean jitterbug and loved ballroom dancing with his partner and wife, Gay. Later in life, he learned to play the bagpipes, developed a love of all things "Scottish," and enjoyed being in the MacDonald Pipe Band. Above all, he loved his family! Being with his wife Gay, his daughters Deborah [Bill], Victoria, Melinda [Dan], Amanda, and Lisa, and his grandchildren, Annika, Fiona, Shayna, Isaac, and Lila, was his greatest joy. He will be greatly missed.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Amanda Crawford; and two sisters, Ruth Hollerman and Viola Thomson.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 9, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. with a funeral service immediately following the visitation at 12:00 at the R. Cunningham Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 2429 Wilmington Road.

Military honors will be performed by the New Castle Area Honor Guard.

Burial will be in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org

Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.cunninghamfh.com