Katherine "Katie" Elizabeth Painter Crawford

Katherine "Katie" Elizabeth Painter Crawford, 46, died Thursday, November 23, 2023, at the Bon Secours Community Hospice House in Bon Aire, Virginia after a courageous 26-month battle with glioblastoma multiforme. She was born on October 12, 1977, in Spartanburg, SC to Max Clarence and Angie Barker Painter. Her formative years were filled with ballet, piano lessons, and summer swim teams, after which she continued her love for music by playing the violin and by teaching herself how to play the guitar. She improved her musical skills by attending summer piano camps at Converse College, and four weeks at Cannon Music Camp (Appalachian State University) during the summer following her freshman year. She was a 1995 honor graduate of Spartanburg High School where she was elected as “Most Likely to Succeed” senior superlative. Katie served as Concert Master for the SHS Orchestra during the orchestra’s European tour following her sophomore year. She graduated with honors from the University of Virginia in 1999 with double majors in Environmental Sciences and Religious Studies. After graduation from UVA, she moved to Richmond, Virginia, where she worked at the Science Museum of Virginia, Riggs-Ward Design Firm as Office Manager, and Premier Pet (Radio Systems Corporation) as Project Manager for new designs. Katie earned her Master of Public Health in 2016 from Virginia Commonwealth University with honors from the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and was the recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi School of Medicine Award. After earning her MPH, Katie worked for the Virginia Department of Health as the Birth Defects Surveillance Coordinator for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Katie also assisted with the dried blood spot newborn screening program and was the first coordinator/facilitator of Virginia’s Rare Disease Council. Whether at work, with friends, family, or the Richmond community, Katie dedicated herself to serving others. In this capacity, Katie tutored elementary school children within the Richmond Public Schools system. She volunteered at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. She volunteered with the American Red Cross and worked with fire departments from the City of Richmond and Henrico County as part of their annual Smoke Alarm Campaigns. Katie and other volunteers along with firefighters, traveled to underserved communities and talked to their members about the importance of fire safety. She also helped with the installation of smoke detectors in many people’s homes. As a graduate student, Katie participated in the Richmond Global Health Alliance Pampas Grande Medical Mission. Pampas Grande is a remote district situated in the Peruvian Andes. Katie was part of a team that brought much needed medical diagnoses and treatments, medical supplies, and quality of life improvements for people within 11 towns throughout the district. Katie loved to travel and had a deep appreciation for and reverence for nature. From the mountains to the sea, she shared her sense of adventure through canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, mountain biking, hiking, camping, backpacking, owling, and trekking through the Swiss Alps with her husband and friends. She loved playing piano and guitar, and enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles, walking on the beach, and riding bikes during annual summer vacations at Hilton Head, SC with extended family. Katie will be remembered for her altruism, intelligence, strength, and generosity. She was deeply loved by her family and friends, and is survived by her husband of almost 14 years, Dr. Edward R. Crawford of Henrico, Virginia; her parents, Max and Angie of Spartanburg, SC; her sister, Emily Rebecca Painter of Greenville, SC; two special aunts, Elizabeth Barker Murphy, of Dallas, Texas and Katharine Hood Barker of Newport News, Virginia; as well as many loving cousins. She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents, Thomas Ralph Barker and Elizabeth Morton Barker of Salisbury, NC; her paternal grandparents, Clarence Wright Painter and Mary Thomas Painter of Spartanburg, SC; and two loving uncles, Ralph Morton Barker of Yadkinville, NC and John Coombs Barker of Newport News, Va. The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 PM Thursday, December 14th at Bliley’s-Central, 3801 Augusta Ave, Richmond, VA. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 AM Friday, December 15th at the same location. A memorial service will be held in Spartanburg, SC, at 3:00 PM Wednesday, December 20th at St. Matthews Episcopal Church, 101 St. Matthews Lane. A reception will follow in the church Gallery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to either the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3624, 047 Baker House, Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710; or to the Caring House, 2625 Pickett Rd., Durham, NC 27705; or to the Bon Secours Community Hospice House, 1133 Old Bon Air Road, Richmond, VA 23235.