Heritage Funeral Service - Valdese
Kristie Nicole Crowder, 30, of Charlotte, formerly of Morganton, passed away Friday January 6,
2023 at Atrium Healthcare in Charlotte following a bicycle accident.
Kristie was born on June 29, 1992 in Burke County to William Gordon "Buddy" Crowder and
Pamela Bivens Crowder. She was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, and was
employed by Passport of Charlotte as a Management Services Associate.
Kristie, a beautiful and remarkable young woman whose zest for life, infectious smile and
unwavering kindness touched every single person who crossed her path. She graduated from
Patton High School in 2010 and attended UNC Charlotte post graduation, double majoring in
mathematics and political science. She was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and
graduated in 2015. Post graduation, she stayed in the Queen City she loved so dearly and
became very active in her Noda community. She was usually the youngest person attending the
town halls and always looking for ways to make a positive difference and improve the quality of
life for others. She was well known in her community and deeply loved by her circle of friends.
Kristie was one of the kindest, smartest, adventurous and wittiest souls anyone knew. She
lived life to the fullest and didn't let anything stand in her way of making her dreams come
true. She loved to travel and explore new places, usually seeking out the best coffee shop
or brewery in town! She was most proud of her travels in Spain, hiking 100 miles of the
Camino de Santiago. Being as adventurous as she was, she continued her journeys
venturing out solo to London, Iceland, and various parts of the US. She made each memory
and experience count! She picked up a passion for photography in the last several years
and unleashed a creative talent we all admired. Her eye for detail, catching the perfect light
and seeing the beauty in every person or thing she photographed was a gift. Allowing us to
see life and love through her lens inspired us all. We learned much from Kristie. She taught
us compassion, tolerance, respect and love for everyone.
Kristie was the best big sister to Kaitlyn, always looking out for her but of course teasing her
accordingly! Kaitlyn was her built-in bestie. She was so proud of her and loved having her
close to her in Charlotte. Kristie and Kaitlyn often asked mom and dad to send money to
pay for a "sister dinner" but really just wanted them to cover the bar tab ;)
Kristie was always a giver, even in death through organ donation. She gave the gift of life to
four recipients, two of which received a tender heart full of love and strong lungs that
breathe the air of freedom and adventure. She also gave the gift of medical research which
will help countless others. She will continue to give us a reminder every day to live life well,
be kind to others and never let fear keep us from following our dreams. #livelikekristie
Kristie loved her family so much. She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Jess
and Eula Crowder; her aunt, Linda Carroll; her uncle, David Combs; her adopted grandparents,
James and John Huffman; and her fur baby, Cosmo. Survivors include her parents, William Gordon "Buddy" Crowder and Pamela Bivens Crowder, both of Morganton; her little sister Kaitlyn Crowder of Charlotte, her maternal grandparents, Ken and Helen Bivens; her Aunt, Sheila Ward and husband Dennis; her Aunt, Denise Rose and husband Jeffrey; her Aunt, Kimberly Smith and husband Mark; her Aunt, Jennifer Wood and
husband Tom; her uncle Freddie Carroll and wife Katrina. She is also survived by 8 cousins,
Dana Bradshaw and husband Ben, Michael Combs and wife Casey, Corey Carroll and wife
Trisha, Kayla Carroll, Mary Carroll, Sean Smith, Rachel Wood, Abigail Wood, Katrina S
DeProfio and Natalie Rose; 11 second cousins: Callie (and wife Nina), Alexis, Pippa, Parker,
Eleanor, Atlas, Adeline, Emily, Samuel, Valentina and Alexandria; Lastly, her faithful canine
companion, Lorelai and feline companions, Bella and Sebastian.
A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 P.M. Saturday January 14, 2023 in the Chapel of
Heritage Funeral Service in Valdese, with Rev. Jamie Torres and Rev. Van Buchanan officiating.
The family will receive friends Saturday from 1:00-3:00 P.M. at Heritage Funeral Service in
Valdese.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Historic North Charlotte
Neighborhood Association (bit.ly/3CChYSs), Carolina Women in Tech
(carolinawomenintech.org) or Kristie Crowder Memorial Fund at Patton High School, Morganton
NC (checks payable to Patton High School, memo subject: Kristie Crowder Memorial Fund)
An online guest book and obituary is available at www.heritagefuneralservices.com.
Heritage Funeral Service & Crematory of Valdese is serving the family.
LINKS
The Charlotte Observer
http://www.charlotteobserver.com
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