Obituary of Faye Crabtree

Janice Faye Kennedy Crabtree, 75, of Hillsborough, NC, passed away September 6, 2023, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Faye was the only child of Grover Lee and Mary Long Kennedy of Hillsborough, who no doubt welcomed her with a warm embrace when she arrived in heaven.

Faye began dating her future husband, Lewis, on and off while in high school and then more seriously when she moved to Raleigh, NC, to attend Hardbarger Business College where she studied Medical Transcription. The couple married in December 1966 and Faye worked as a secretary at Dorothea Dix Hospital while Lewis completed his final semester at N.C. State. It was during this time that Faye, a former UNC Tarheel fan, became a “rabid” Wolfpack fan who could be heard yelling “C’mon State!” on any given game day.

After Lewis’ graduation, the couple moved to Shelby, NC, where a year later they had their first daughter, Robin. Over the next few years, they moved from Shelby to Durham, NC, and then back to Hillsborough. When Robin started Kindergarten, Faye began working as an executive secretary at the Orange County Council on Aging until the birth of the couple’s second daughter, Kelly.

After spending several years at home with Kelly, Faye rejoined the workforce and began her 27-year career with the Orange County Schools. She started as a Vocational Education teacher’s assistant at A.L Stanback Middle School and later joined the school’s office staff. She then moved to Cameron Park Elementary School where she worked as an office assistant and data manager until her retirement in 2017. She would often share stories about the cute little kids at the school and she and her family spent many Christmas mornings reading and laughing at the Kindergartners’ annual cookbook.

Faye loved her sons-in-law, Joseph and Jason, and being “BB” to Katherine and Grandma to Jackson. She thought Katherine was the funniest, most talented person and that Jackson was cutest little boy she’d ever seen. Robin and Kelly wish she had been able to spend more time with both of her grandkids and that they could have known her in her prime.

Faye was a life-long member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church and served on many church committees over the years; her favorite was the Decorating Committee for the new church building after a fire destroyed the old one in 2001.

She was an avid reader and always had a book or several magazines by her side. Faye loved going to the beach but preferred to lie by the pool and read instead of getting sandy or, even worse, getting her hair wet. She also enjoyed helping plan her high school class reunions and spending time with her many friends.

In the last few years of her life, Faye found joy in simple things, like looking out the window at the beautiful “Carolina blue skies” (truly, the only thing Carolina Blue she would praise); singing along to hymns, Christmas carols and songs from the 50s and 60s; and going to Chick-fil-A for ice cream and Diet Coke.

She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 56 years, Lewis Crabtree of Hillsborough; daughters Robin Gaitens (Joseph) of Pittsboro, NC, and Kelly Von Pond (Jason) of Irving, TX; grandchildren Katherine Gaitens and Jackson Pond; and many dear family and friends. The family would like to thank Gentiva Hospice, Mebane Ridge Assisted Living and her other nurses and companions for helping care for Faye.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 1 p.m., at Cedar Grove United Methodist Church in Cedar Grove, NC. Visitation will follow the service and a private burial will be held later.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Walker's Funeral Home of Hillsborough is assisting the family.