Crawford Henry obit

Crawford Irwin Henry

1937 - 2026

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Crawford Henry, beloved husband, father, coach, mentor, and friend, passed away on May 18,

2026. A native of Atlanta, Crawford was born on May 30, 1937, and he dedicated his life to his

strong Catholic faith, his family, and his love of the game of tennis.

Crawford married the love of his life, Marie "Bebe" Therrell Henry, in 1963, and they shared a

long and loving marriage until her death in 2004. Crawford and Bebe built a life centered on

family, friends, their shared Catholic faith, and their unwavering support for one another.

Crawford was best known for his accomplishments in the tennis world, and his prowess in the

sport was apparent early. He was a standout as a Georgia high school player, playing for

legendary Coach Erk Russell and achieving the remarkable feat of winning the state high school

championship as a freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. He never lost a single high school

tennis match, and in 1955 he captured the National High School Championship. Crawford then

attended Tulane University, where he was chosen as a two-time first-team All American in 1959

and 1960. He helped lead Tulane to win the NCAA Team Championship in 1959 after having led

Tulane to the NCAA finals in 1957. Crawford and doubles partner Ron Holmberg won the NCAA

doubles championships in both 1957 and 1959.

After a standout collegiate performance, Crawford's professional tennis accomplishments

continued in the 1960's. He competed twice at Wimbledon, advancing as far as the quarterfinal

round, and he attained a U.S. singles ranking of no. 10, a U.S. doubles ranking of no. 4, and a

world ranking of no. 18.

Beyond his personal accomplishments on the court, Crawford's impact on the tennis

community extended far beyond wins and titles. He excelled as a tennis coach and as a mentor

to generations of aspiring athletes. Crawford's collegiate coaching career included head tennis

coach positions at Oglethorpe College, Emory University, Tulane University, and finally at North

Carolina State University, where he coached for thirteen years before retiring. Crawford also

served as the first head tennis professional at Dekalb Tennis Center (1968-1978), where he

helped launch the tennis careers of many future tennis professionals, including NCAA champion

Allen Miller. In recognition of his tennis accomplishments, Crawford was inducted into Tulane's

Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983, the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983, and the ITA Collegiate

Men's Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000.

Above everything else, Crawford cherished his family. He was preceded in death by his beloved

wife Bebe and by his parents, Carroll "Dee" and Isabell "Belle" Buzzett. He is survived by his

four children, Catherine Hicks (Brian) of Gainesville, Georgia, Laura Henry of Atlanta, Molly Hall

(Kevin) of Clayton, North Carolina, and Chris Henry of Dunwoody, Georgia. He also leaves

behind four grandchildren, Jackson Hicks, Parker Hicks, Connor Swinarski, and Gannon Guin,

four great-grandchildren, his loving sister and only sibling, Angela Shiflet (George) "Buck" of Greenville, South Carolina.

The family would also like to express their deepest gratitude to Crawford's devoted nurse and

caregiver of three years, Akeena Talley, whose compassion, care, and friendship brought

comfort and dignity to Crawford during his final years.

Crawford will be remembered not only for his many tennis accomplishments, but also for his

charisma, his wit, his tireless investment in developing the players he coached, and for his

inspiration to so many both on the court and off.

He went on to Tulane University where he was a two-time first-team All American in 1959 and 1960, and second-team All-American in 1957. He helped Tulane win the NCAA team title in 1959, and reach the finals in 1957. He paired with Ronald Holmberg to win NCAA doubles titles in 1957 and 1959.

Henry also reached the singles final of the tournament in Cincinnati in 1960, falling to Miguel Olvera of Ecuador. The same year he won the singles title at the Blue Gray Championships in Montgomery, Alabama. He also reached the doubles final in 1957.

Henry played in Wimbledon twice in the early 1960s and reached the ranking of No. 10 in the U.S. and World No. 18. He also reached as high as U.S. No. 4 in doubles. In 1961, Henry defeated Roy Emerson who was ranked No. 1 in the world at the time.