Obituary
Lou H. Croley
Born March 3,1927
Died February 15, 2020
Lou is survived by her two children James E. Croley III,M.D., Jennifer Lou Croley, hertwo grandchildren James E. Croley IV Amanda Caroline Kamphouse,and her fivegreat grandchildren Garry III, Caroline , Grady Kamphouse, Kelsy , and James E. Croley V.
She was bornin Liberty Missouri the daughter of Dwight and Nannie House. Lou grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated from Southwest Highschool in Kansas City.
Lou House graduated from the Junior College of Kansas City. She married Dr. James E. Croley Jr. while he was in dental school at the University of Missouri inKansas City on June 8, 1947.
After Dr. Croley graduated from dental school, they moved to Middlesboro, Kentucky. They then moved to San Diego, California in 1950 as Dr. Croley served in the Navy duringthe Korean War.
After the war, they moved to Pineville,Kentucky where she and her husband raised their two children James E. Croley III, M.D. and Jennifer Lou Croley.
Lou Croley was a leader and motivator in Pineville for several decades beginning in the 1950s. She loved Pineville and the people of Pineville. Lou was the youngest women to be given the designation of first lady of a Kentucky city.
Lou Croley was very involved in the Women’s Club. Lou was the publicity director for the Kentucky State Women’s Club, President of District 9. She received the Governor’s award for her service in the Kentucky Women’s Club organization.
Lou was awarded the outstanding women in Kentucky twice.
President of the Southeast Kentucky Dental Auxiliary.
Pineville Garden Club Chairman
Lou Croley wore many hats in her service to the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival; General Chairman, Finance Chairman, Advisory Board, and Board of Directors.
Lou Croley and her husband were instrumental in bringing the play The Book of Job to the Pine Mountain State Park outdoor theatre that ran for many seasons. She eventually served as its Chairman.
Served with Governor Bert Combs on the Kentucky Social Service Advisory Committee.
Member of the board of Bell County Humane Society and Bell County Vocational Education.
First women board member of the Pineville School Board.
First woman President of the Pineville Chamber of Commerce.
Pineville Garden Club Chairman
First women board member of Kentucky Blue Cross/Blue Shield Insurance Company.
Outstanding Junior Club Woman of Kentucky.
Pineville Rotary Women of the Year.
Director of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Chairman of the Bell County Civil War Centennial.
Active member of the First Baptist Church of Pineville. Lou served as Assistant Sunday School Superintendent, Young Women’s Auxiliary leader, Vacation Bible Schooland Member of the Mission Society.
Creator and publisher of the Bell County Bugle newspaper.
Kentucky Medical Scholarship board member.
Regional Director of White House Conference on Children and Youth.
Pineville Practical Nursing School as Chairman of the Advisory Board.
Pineville All Kentucky City Award.
Awarded Kentucky Colonel.
Executive Director of Pineville/Bell County Community Development Agency. Lou was the driving force behind securing 1,500 units of subsidized housing of the Ferndale multifamily units, Newtown renovation, and a8 story senior citizen high-rise in Bell County.
LynwoodAvin, Regional Director of FEMA said, “We at HUD feel most fortunate indeed insecuring Mrs. Croley’s services in our rehousing effort, but I feel that the people of Eastern Kentucky are indeed fortunate in having available to them a Kentuckian whose devotion to duty and dedication to assisting every single Kentuckian is surpassed by few, if any”.
Congressional Liaison for HUD/FEMA Disaster Relief.Lou served as Congressional Liaison for FEMA beginning in 1977 to the year 2000when she retired from FEMA. She worked at 57 national disasters in her career.
After her retirement from FEMA, she worked on a local level in the area she resided Estero, Fl, with CERT, Community Emergency Response Team whose volunteers workwith disaster relief for the hazards that impact them with basic disaster response skills, such as hurricane and flooding relief fire safety, light search and rescue, and medical operations.
Someone said“There is no power greater than true affection, and it is most certainly Lou’s affection, her kindness, sincerity, and thoughtfulness, for everything and everyone around her, that makes her truly outstanding”.
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