Clifford B. Crosby, 97, of Fairgreen Assisted Living, Wayne Avenue, a retired administrative secretary to a Plant Engineer, Chevrolet-Warren, Michigan died February 8, 2014.
Mr. Crosby was born in Fremont, Michigan January 29, 1917, and moved to this area in 1979 from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. After his retirement he and his wife Grace (pre-deceased) moved to New Smyrna Beach. He joined the local Shrine Club and the First Presbyterian Church where he was a former elder. Mr. Crosby and his wife traveled to Scotland three times, flew to Cario, Egypt, visited Bethlehem, saw snow in Jordon, visited many pyramids, saw Valley of the Kings, toured the three Scandinavian countries, visited Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti, and passed through the Panama Canal. They journeyed to Hawaii and sailed on many Caribbean cruises. He was a Sergeant in the Infantry during World War II as a court reporter for nearly three years, ending as Executive Secretary to a General in Frankfurt, Germany. He was requested to volunteer for three years in the Army Of Occupation as 2nd Lieutenant. His wife would be brought to Frankfurt; given a house with a maid; he would have a Jeep with driver. He would have access to buy items for the house as could buy cheaper at the local PX being an officer. After calling his wife in Detroit who had an excellent secretary job for GM, he declined. A reporter of the Daytona News-Journal stated Mr. Crosby "lived to write" and he was right. He has published ten novels - To Be Young Again So I Could Date (2003); A Lightning Arc Changed This Man (2005); The Young Cowpuncher And The Blonde (2006); Lake With An Island Mystery (2007); How The West Was Settled (2008); The Swivel Gunman (2008); Three Unusual Noses (2009); Amazing Incidents and Unusual Stories (2009); and A New Life Style For Charles (2009). He belonged to a Fun In Writing class at the local Brannon Senior Center. He has published a booklet of28 articles written while in class titled Book of Miracles (2006). He has made donations to a Help Hospitalized Veterans organization in Washington, D.C. who purchased craft kits to give to hospitalized veterans. He received many 3x5 thank you cards from veterans and in turn, had been writing to those who sought a pen pal. Mr. Crosby ate in many restaurants and knew many waitresses by their first name. He enjoyed meeting and making new friends. And, he lived to write his interesting articles and novels. In 2004, Mr. Crosby participated in a research study by Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, in "Identifying Genes that Delay or Prevent Alzheimer's Disease".
Mr. Crosby has no survivors.
2:00 PM Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church New Smyrna Beach.
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