Joan C. Thompson

JOAN MARIE CRAWFORD was born in Baltimore City on December 11, 1937, daughter of the late Harold Crawford Sr. and Elizabeth Small Crawford. In September 1954 Joan attended Southern High School in South Baltimore on the first year Baltimore desegregated the city’s public school system. She was on the cover of The Sun Magazine being escorted to school by the city’s police chief and a teacher away from an angry non-desegregation mob. Joan and Melvin Sr. met and were high school sweethearts. They married on September 24, 1960. Joan graduated from Southern High in South Baltimore with honors and ironically became a Baltimore City Public School teacher. Joan Crawford was a graduate of Coppin State Teachers College, Class of 1959, today known as Coppin State University. Joan loved teaching the 1st to the 3rd grade students and was a generous teacher and mentor who encouraged excellence in her young students by focusing on reading and math. She spent every summer buying children’s books at the city book fairs to give to students as Christmas gifts along with holiday pencil sets. In March of 1961 Melvin Jr. was born, followed by Demetrius, Garth and Marsha. While growing up, she taught us the love of art by visiting all the Baltimore City art galleries. As a family she loved us visiting friends at the Arundel on the Bay area in Annapolis, so we’d have a love for Maryland’s water ways and vista. Over the years, Joan received teacher education certificates from Loyola College. After over 30 years of teaching Joan retired in 1995 with many teaching awards from the city and state. For another 15 years after retirement, she continued teaching students by turning one of the bedrooms in her home into a full classroom for teaching the neighborhood kids after school and summer learning. Joan was the loving wife of the late Melvin H. Thompson Sr. who passed away in May of 1975. She took it on herself in raising her four children. Joan was the proud mother of Melvin Jr., Demetrius, Garth, the late Marsha Thompson, daughter-in-law Denise. Her love for her grandchildren Marc, Lauren, Natasia, Christopher, Brendan and Addison were displayed throughout her home. Joan leaves behind her loving siblings Ida Crawford Hines, Harold Jr., Rayfield, Ronald, Deborah Crawford, the late Veronica Crawford Threat, her closest cousin/sister Phyllis Brooks, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Joan also leaves cherished memories of some of the Caldwell/Thompson Family Reunions and the Ida Miller Crawford Little Family Reunion

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Joan C. Thompson

December 11, 1937 - August 27, 2024