Marshall Lee Crowther

September 2, 1937 – June 1, 2024

Marshall grew up on a shorthorn cattle farm in Salina, Kansas.  He had an idyllic and hardworking childhood helping with the daily chores, playing in the baseball and basketball leagues and was very active over many years in his local 4-H club.  His family hosted and housed both American soldiers preparing to leave for World War II as well as German POWs who found the farm work and hospitality a reprieve from the front lines in Europe.  In this childhood Marshall honed his skills of negotiating, debating, putting in the time to do things right, and the ability to gracefully compromise while still holding onto one’s beliefs.  In high school he was active in Boys State and debate and was able to reach national recognition in these endeavors.

Marshall started undergraduate studies at Kansas University and was proud to be a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.  He may have loved too much besides the academics of college and eventually graduated from Kansas Wesleyan but returned to KU to earn his JD degree.  It was during law school that he met the love of his life, Sandee (nee Garvey), in the university Student Senate.

He served in the US Army Reserves and was honorably discharged in 1964.

Marshall worked for the state of Kansas for more than 44 years in several capacities over the span of his career.  He started his service in 1966 as an attorney with the Kansas Highway Commission.  In 1967 he became the General Counsel for KPERS and in 1981 was named Executive Secretary of KPERS.  He joined the Kansas Insurance Department in 1992 as a Hearing Officer/Attorney.  In 1995 he began with the Judicial Branch where he served as Administrative Services Officer for the Office of Judicial Administration until his retirement at 73 in 2010.  In addition he served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for four different Attorney Generals from 1969 to 1991.  He enjoyed all of his jobs and was able to travel both out of state and to all 105 counties in Kansas.  He used to joke that his last job for the state he was merely driving around in the state and visiting and dining with old colleagues; something he very much enjoyed.

Marshall believed in public service and was driven to contribute in his community.  He was a founding board member and past director for the Lawrence Boys Club (now expanded to the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence).  He participated in the Kansas Jaycees and served as Legal Counsel for the organization. Marshall was a life member of the Elks Lodge and in Lawrence and went on to serve as Exalted Ruler for B.P.O.E. 595.  A longtime member of First Presbyterian Church Marshall served on their Board of Trustees.  He was a member of both the Kansas and Douglas County Bar Associations.  He continued to serve his fraternity, Delta Upsilon, well past graduation by later years sitting as a member as well as a past president for the Alumni Board for Kansas Delta Upsilon. He served as a trustee for KNEA from 1984 until 2017.

Marshall was a true family man, in a private and quiet way.  He was always meaningfully present for his daughters and a true partner in life to his wife.  He took pride in his frugality and was constantly finding ways to repair things instead of replace them.  He could darn his own socks, alter a cheerleading uniform, did the laundry for the whole household, dig up every weed with his hands, and shoot or trap any critter that found its way into the yard from the creek and woods behind it.  He was not done with a car until he could drive at least 300 thousand miles on it.  Vacations with his family were his recharge and always somewhere warm and on the water.

He was an active tennis player until his 50s and was always a runner, enjoying participating in road races in the area.  As he got older, the running turned into half day walks all around town.  Though he lived on the south side of town, he could often be seen walking north of the river or out towards Clinton Lake.  He and his wife were fixtures at many local restaurants.

Preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Vesta Crowther, as well as his sister Judy Vader.  He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sandee, as well as his daughters Carrie Crowther and Cherie Elo.  He also enjoyed all of his time spent with his four granddaughters: Violet and Wren Williamson and Pearl and Marin Hoover.

Perhaps what will be remembered most about Marshall is his quick wit.  He always had an apropos comeback for any person and any situation that would make the experience better.  Sometimes it would elicit a laugh or smile, sometimes a groan or an eyeroll. But it always worked.

Throughout his life Marshall donated blood to the Red Cross and Community Blood Center.  It was documented that he donated well over 73 gallons of blood in his lifetime. Please consider attending a blood drive or encourage others to donate blood.

A celebration of Marshall and his life will be at 10:30am on Saturday July 13, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence.  All are welcome to share in this time of reflection with his family.  His final resting place will be the family plot at Gypsum Hill Cemetery in Salina, Kansas.