Opal Ray Crow

MR OPAL RAY CROW, 81, of Sherwood died peacefully on November 13, following a courageous battle with cancer. The oldest son of Opal and Gladys Furr Crow, Opal was raised on a cotton farm in the Althiemer community. A high school basketball star, Opal attended Wabbaseka High. He attended U of A Monticello earning a BSE in 1963. He received his Ed.S. from U of A Fayetteville. He was the Superintendent of many rural school districts including Tiller, Fountain Hill, Grady, and Star City. He was the 1997 Southeast Arkansas Superintendent of the Year. Opal retired in 2006 after 43 years of dedicated service in Arkansas education where he worked as a teacher, a coach, a principal, and finally a superintendent. Opal was an avid horse racing fan and loved spending time at Oaklawn and sharing his tips with anyone who would listen. He loved playing poker and competed in tournaments around the US. He and Phyllis enjoyed hosting large groups of friends to watch the Razorbacks play. He was a lifelong Christian and of the Church of Christ faith. Opal was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Phyllis Powell; his brother Danny (Bernetta) Crow of Searcy; his sons Kevin (Amy) Crow of Mountain Home and Todd Crow of Maricopa, Ariz.; his step-children Dr. Jeff (Kristin) Powell of Sherwood and Jill (Johnathan) Gassaway of NLR. Opal leaves behind nine grandchildren: Kaden Crow of Farmington, Ark.; Taylor Crow of Chicago, Illinois; Kinsley Crow of Maricopa, Ariz.; Alexandra and Drew Powell of Sherwood; Gage, Jude, Alyssa and Dylan Gassaway of NLR. The family would like to thank his wonderful caregivers Lillian Landron and Mike Kimball and the amazing staff at Arkansas Hospice. Visitation will be Friday, November 18, at noon at Smith–NLR Funeral Home with funeral services to follow at 1 p.m. Online guestbook www.SmithFamilyCares.com