Phyllis Crawford

01/27/1934 — 02/20/2017

From Richland, WA | Born in Spokane, WA

Phyllis Crawford

Phyllis Ann Crawford (Carney) passed away peacefully the morning of Feb. 20th.  She lived 83 years. Phyllis was born in Spokane Washington to Thomas and Erma O’Reilly (Tollefsrud).  She was lovingly raised by Paul Ratsch after his marriage to Erma when Phyllis was in grade school.  She moved to Richland during her last two years of high school where she met Thomas J. Carney.  They were married in 1952 and together raised 4 surviving children, Thomas Michael Carney, Jill Molnaa, Jeffrey Carney, and Bridgette Carney.  Phyllis loved to read.  She passed this love on to her children and embraced this passion in her work as a reference librarian at the Richland Public Library.  She was an exceptionally talented stained glass artist who commissioned work around the Tri-Cities; sold her craft at Allied Arts and various locations.  She was an ardent, perfectionist in her work.  Her passion for stained glass held her interest, but especially the historical relevance in architecture she believed it possessed.  She was raised and educated in the Catholic faith.  Her strong belief in Catholic education moved her donate a percentage of her stained-glass earnings to Christ the King school, where each of her children attended.  In 1997 she married a life-long friend, Jim Crawford, from her Columbia High School “gang” and survived his death for 19 years.  She never remarried. Even in her final hours she counted her blessings, when emphatically she expressed, “I am the luckiest woman in the world to have such a loving family.” Her family credits her commitment to love and faith as responsible for this legacy.  Phyllis is survived by her sister, Caroline (Ratsch) Hawthorn, nine grandchildren, three great grandchildren, her four children and their spouses – Kathleen Carney, Dave Molnaa and Carol Carney.  Phyllis is preceded in death by her brother Paul W. Ratsch, mother Erma Ratsch and her father Paul D. Ratsch.

A Rosary will be held at Events at Sunset (915 ByPass Hwy in Richland), Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6pm. The Mass at Christ the King, Friday, Feb. 24 at 11 AM, followed by the graveside at Sunset Gardens at 1pm with a reception to follow at 1:30pm at Events at Sunset.

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