Extracted from The Livingston Parish News (Denham Springs, LA)
Delee Crum
Lt. Col. Delee Boyd Crum (USAF ret.) died Monday, May 30, 2005. He served in the Louisiana National Guard, the U.S. Army Air Forces and the U.S. Air Force. He was a pilot and flew in the Chinese-Burma Theater during World War II and was awarded, among other citations, the Distinguished Flying Cross and numerous air medals. The Chinese Air Force also acknowledged his contributions by awarding him its coveted Pilot Wings. Later, he flew in the Berlin Airlift from 1948-1951. He retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserves in 1979, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, and later retired from Exxon's Research and Development Labs in 1981. He taught weekly Bible studies at the local juvenile detention center for 15 years.
Visitation was at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd, Tuesday and Wednesday until religious services, conducted by the Rev. Bill Young. Interment was in Resthaven Gardens of Memory.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jewel McCallum Crum; two sons and daughters-in-law, Randy and Karen Crum of Kingwood, Texas, and Ron and Patti Crum of Baton Rouge; daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Martin Brignac of Denham Springs; two grandsons, Jeremy Brignac and wife, Mary, serving in the U.S. Air Force at Fairchild AFB in Spokane, Wash., and John Cory Crum and wife, Sarah, of Baton Rouge; granddaughter, Kirby Carol Crum of Baton Rouge; and great-granddaughter, Jayde Catherine Brignac. He was a honorary father to Mimi Salamet and honorary grandfather to Aria Salamet of Spokane.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Azilee and Dan Crum; two brothers, Elliott and Lovell Crum; and two sisters, Bonnie Belle Johnson and Ruth Kelly.
He was a member of Community Bible Church and a past member of The Chapel on the Campus.
Thursday, June 2, 2005