Huey D Crisp

DR. HUEY D. CRISP, 82, succumbed to cancer in his home in Little Rock, Ark., on April 9, 2021. Born January 26, 1939 to Jessie Fay and Huey Crisp of Henderson, Texas, Huey was the eldest of four children. His love of reading began early in life, but he was set on his path as a literacy scholar in high school when his ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Stone, warned his classmates about the work of Thomas Wolfe. She told them the text should not be read because it was unsuited for young minds, so Huey raced to the library to retrieve the copy of Look Homeward Angel. It was Wolfe's text that began his love affair with Literature. After graduating from Gaston High School in 1957, Huey enlisted in the US Army to pay for college with GI Bill benefits. After completing the Airborne, he was assigned to the 504 parachute infantry regiment of the 82nd Airborne division, also known as "Devils in Baggy Pants," and was stationed in Germany. Once his four years of service were complete, Huey attended Kilgore College and received his Bachelor of Arts from North Texas University-Denton. He completed his Master of Arts at the University of Texas-Arlington. Huey carried his love of literature into the classroom and began his teaching career in the early 1970s as a faculty member in Dallas County Community College System at Eastfield Community College. He transferred to Richland Community College where he met his sweetheart, Sally Chandler, who also taught writing. The two were married in Dallas, Texas, on September 14, 1974. In 1980, the two found their academic home at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, where Huey later completed his doctorate in Higher Education. Huey taught writing at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock from 1980 until his retirement in 2011. In 1993, he was a founding member of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, and he played a key role in forming the department's ethos. He taught composition, nonfiction, and professional writing courses. From 1998 until 2011, he served as the Director of Composition in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. Huey organized and conducted many writing workshops in business and government organizations and workshops for K-12 teachers and community college faculties. For over a decade, Huey taught writing to incarcerated learners in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. In these roles, he influenced countless students, many of whom discovered their own love of teaching through his classes and mentorship. Huey's generosity, kindness, pragmatism, and, most importantly, his joy of teaching writing remains in the world through these teachers. Huey was a prolific storyteller, and his work appeared in Tales from the South. He had numerous short stories and essays published. For four years, Huey served as the poetry critic for the Poetry Roundtable of Arkansas. His publications as author, co-author, or editor include The Steps We Took, which became an international bestseller; Carry This Message; Lessons from Little Rock; Dinamica de Recuperacion; Lloyd Peterson and Peterson Industries: An American Story; Jack Hammered, Sober Sonnets; Balm in Gilead, and others. Despite his professional accolades, Huey will be best remembered for his unwavering love of his wife of nearly 50 years, and his two daughters: Mitchell and Molly. His love of teaching was evident in his parenting and grandparenting as a mentor, hero, and best friend. His daughters recount the many lessons he taught them: how to swing a hammer, drive a stick shift, bait a hook, change out a garbage disposal, and hang a ceiling fan, among others. Most of all, they will remember their father for his unconditional acceptance, fierce protection, and deep love of their family. He enjoyed cooking, traveling, and gardening; no potluck was considered complete unless Huey brought his famous potatoes. After retirement, Huey and Sally traveled to Italy, France, Ireland, and Scotland. Huey was a member of Our Lady of the Holy Souls, where he enjoyed the fellowship of his small group; he also volunteered for Settled Souls, an organization that works to aid homeless individuals into permanent housing. He will be remembered by his friends, former students, and colleagues as someone who readily shared stories and talked about books and life. He was a generous friend who had the capacity to listen with empathy and without judgment. He will be deeply missed by the community he leaves behind. Huey is proceeded in death by his parents, Jessie Fay and Huey Crisp; sister, Mary Gilmore; and brother, Gary Crisp. His legacy will live on through his wife, Sally Chandler Crisp; daughters, Mitchell Crisp and Molly Crisp-Lindemann; grandson, Dean Patterson; sister, Janie Crisp Bradburry; brother-in-law, John Chandler; and more than a dozen nieces, nephews, and cousins. A celebration of Huey Crisp's life will be held at Our Lady of the Holy Souls on Tuesday, April 13, at 10 a.m. CDT. To join virtually, go to the church's Facebook group to view livestream. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UA Little Rock Foundation, David and Lucille Chandler Endowed Scholarship, 2801 S. University, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72204. This scholarship fund, created by Drs. Huey and Sally Crisp, supports Rhetoric and Writing students in their studies.