On Sept. 12, 2022, the Western Folklife Center lost a tremendous friend and supporter. It’ll be hard to imagine life without the spirit of Gary Crowe. Even harder yet will be the palpable absence of him at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and all that he brought with his presence.
As a board member, serving from 2000 - 2013, Gary invested a great deal of time and energy in supporting our organization in all of its efforts, from programming to operations to building renovations. He gave heartily, contributed fully, and always brought a crowd of friends who he introduced to our beloved event over the years.
A native Nevadan, he embraced his western roots, dedicating his time to a host of worthwhile causes. He served as Lions Club president and Southwest Rotary chair, and received the Silver Beaver award for his work with Boy Scouts of America, but his labor of love was truly the Western Folklife Center.
Exhaustively attentive to his duties in business, he also managed to live large in his off time. Gary “drank the wind.” When he wasn’t doing for others, you could find him golfing or skiing in the Sawtooths of Sun Valley or shredding the waves off the California coast. He also embraced life in his passion for the outdoors, hunting and fishing the wilds with his wife Susan and his beloved dogs Hank and Clem.
We will miss you Gary Crowe and all that you generously gave with your spirit, kind heart, and quick wit. Our heartfelt condolences to his beloved Susan and children Drue, Jeremy, and Will.
—Leslie Parraguirre, Western Folklife Center Board of Trustees
