In Memory

Floyd Crawford - Class Of 1969

Floyd Crawford



 
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03/29/09 10:58 AM #1    

Patricia Brainerd (Ten Elshof) (1969)

When I was in seventh grade at Grover Cleveland Floyd had a crush on me. He wanted to take me to the coming Flower Show. He was always dirty and scruffy looking but a nice guy. I told him if he took a bath, wore clean clothes and got a haircut that I would go with him. On the day of the flower show he knocks on my door to pick me up. WOW! What a difference!! He had on a suit, clean as a whistle, and a new haircut and brought me a bouquet of flowers. Wow!! He did all that for me. We had a great time. After his new self image came alive, girls started eyeballing him and in no time he was popular and I did not see him anymore. He would go to the swimming hole in Hayward with a group of friends. He was having a great time...then I heard they took off to an unsupervised area and he had drowned. I am glad to hear the real story as it was a hearsay story some had told me.  I am happy that he was able to make a lot of new friends and enjoy life to the fullest. I do miss him. Pat


12/24/09 06:11 PM #2    

Fred Smith (1974)

floyd served in viet nam on a huey gunship true he did drown but in the bay not a swimming hole in hayward

11/05/10 12:19 PM #3    

Laura Crawford (1972)

My brother drowned 2/22/1973 in the San Leandro Marina. He was out with a couple of friends in a borrowed pontoon that capsized. In trying to drag the pontoon to shore, he was pulled under by a current. 2 weeks later he resurfaced on the west side of the San Mateo Bridge and was found by a fisherman. His 2 friends survived. He had been home from Viet Nam for less than a year when this happened.


07/28/19 08:36 AM #4    

Jon Lilley (1968)

First I need to apologize for my poor English skills I was never very good at school.

Okay for what it's worth

Floyd and I Grew up together and had Many Adventures. we would go down to the truck stop on Davis St. that's where Costco is now and we would steel Tire inner tubes, fill them up will air and float down the San Leandro Creek to the Estuary and spend the day floating around.

Also we would.skip school, I believe it was Floyd, Cliff Stevenson, and I would catch the bus and go to San Francisco where we would hop on the back of the trolley cars so we wouldn't have to pay. We would then  ride down to Fisherman's Wharf where we would buy a large loaf of French bread. Then catch the 38 Geary bus to the beach. And spend the day playing at The Cliff House, and Playland at the beach where we would Hangout going to the fun house and just mess around for the day. 

 

Sorry I Digress here a little bit. Back to the story, Ron Proctor Floyd and I went to Cliff Stevenson's house to borrow his “ boat” and I'm using the word “boat” very loosely, for lack of a better word I guess you could call it a  canoe thing. as I recall, to me it looked A spare gas tank off of an airplane that was cut in half. That we used as a mix shift floating thing. 

Well Ron, Floyd, and myself borrowClif’s “boat” we grabbed a jug of cheap wine frozen orange juice and some fruit to throw into the wine. I believe that was kind of  the fad back then. to make cheap wine easier to drink. Itt tastes more like ripple for those who remember Ripple.

 

Anyhow after getting our supplies we went down to the marina where there was a small island out in the bay not too far out. Shuttling back and forth to get everyone out to the island, we built a small fire and began to drink the wine, needless to say we were pretty drunk.  Floyd and I decided to go out and see if we could reach a buoy that wasn't too far away, we started to screw around a bit I believe I was screwing around more than Floyd when all of a sudden the boat tipped over. I heard Floyd say something to me I don't recall exactly what it was but I think he was having a hard time swimming I told him to hang onto the boat and he replied that the boat sank. It was starting to get pretty dark so I told him if he wasn't able to make it to shore to try to swim out to the buoy and I would go get help. after swimming Back to the Island I grab Ron and we swam to shore to go get help.

That was one of the hardest days of my life going to his mom and explaining what had happened.  I almost chickened out but I decided it was my responsibility to give her the bad news. For Those out there who care this is what  really happened I miss all the adventures Floy Cliff Stevenson and I had as kids.

 

11/11/20 10:11 PM #5    

Rhea Gillette (1972)

Thank you , for setting the record straight...Sandy has been and will be truly missed..


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