John Crossman

Colonel John Stuart Crossman, U.S. Army Retired, husband, father and grandfather died peacefully on October 2, 2025 in Olympia, Washington after a long journey into the quiet darkness of dementia. Dementia, for the record, sucks. Side note: as kids, we were sent to our room for saying "sucks" and we include it here as a small act of willful civil disobedience, something he would appreciate now. He will be interred with full military honors at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington on October 28, 2025.

Born October 19, 1942 in Oakland, California to Colonel Raymond Stuart Crossman, U.S. Army Retired and Barbara Ann (Bleecker) Crossman, Dad was a lifelong member of the military community as both an army brat and an officer. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Geology in 1964, he commissioned in the U.S. Army as an engineer and aviator, quickly earning the Airborne Ranger distinction. Dad flew combat missions in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, and was awarded the Bronze Star when his Huey was brought down by enemy fire. He landed the bird safely with the support of his well-trained crew and secured the area from enemy attack before enjoying his lunch while waiting for search & rescue to arrive. He went on to earn his Master's Degree in Geography from Michigan State University in 1970 where he met Catherine Clara Farley when she borrowed his mapping pens in a Cartography class and the rest, as they say, is history. He spent much of his time on active duty in Defense Mapping; Dad was Google Maps long before it existed. After a twenty-six year army career, Mom and Dad retired to Steilacoom, Washington where he went on to a post-army career with a civil engineering firm followed by many years of retirement enjoying his renewed dedication to the shooting community.

Throughout his adult life, Dad was a nationally and internationally ranked rifle shooter. He coached many teams, clubs, camps, clinics and high school students throughout the United States and Europe. Over the years, the walls of the house filled up with pins, medals, ribbons, plaques and trophies that represented his passion and singular commitment to the sport of competitive shooting. He also maintained membership in the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's Association and continued flying after retirement purely out of love for the bird. There were three things Dad just loved: the shooting community, flying helicopters and Michigan football (M Go Blue). The only thing he loved more was Mom.

John and Catherine Crossman were married June 19, 1971 in Albion, Michigan, followed by a booze-free reception, much to the displeasure of his father, Stu, who was never completely forgiven for the ensuing tantrum. Nine months and five minutes later, their first of four children was born. Sarah was followed three years later by Karen who was followed three years later by Stephanie who, through the miracle of failed birth control, was followed twelve years later by Daniel who continues to take grief for this fact, 35 years later.

All that is to say, Dad is survived by his wife of 54 years, Catherine "Reverend Leadfoot" Crossman, his four children Sarah Elizabeth (Steve), Karen Lynn (James), Stephanie Cordelia, Daniel Stuart (Maja), and nine grandchildren: Evangeline, Sam, Clara, Diego, Lucy, Dutch, Virginia, Cohen and Yonaton. He is also survived by his sister, Susan Brown, of Oxford, Michigan and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Dad was responsible for the creation of a sport known as, "Look, kids, there's a mountain" during the execution of which we would drive around in an old station wagon through the mountains until he found something he wanted to climb that looked surmountable enough to march his kids up and back down in a day. As a result, we have climbed countless (and nameless) small mountains, built summit cairns and trudged back to the car completely annoyed, the upshot being that he fueled a lifetime of adventure and travel in all of us to the extent that we still have a tendency to stop the car and climb things. Dad also never met a stranger, another contagious quality that leads to a lifetime of interesting conversations and the occasional lifelong friendship. The ability to create a connection with another human out of curiosity alone was a gift that Dad possessed in spades. He was a connoisseur of all things droll, silly, sarcastic and punny and remained committed to his best lines for the entirety of his life. The fact that this tribute does not include more of these things is a travesty and a shame. Apparently obituary writing is a skill that requires practice and we remain committed to working on it so that whoever goes next gets a masterpiece.

Finally, in honor of his granddaughter Clara, the family is encouraging donations to The Opportunity Circle, a non-profit organization that supports education, employment, life skills and social growth for adults with special needs. https://theopportunitycircle.org

Godspeed, Dad. We love you.

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