Tamara Frye Crewey

Tamara Frye Crewey, 68, died Monday, May 10th at the Hock Family Pavilion of Durham, North Carolina, after a brief battle with cancer. She was born on November 20, 1941, to the late Glenneth C. and Geraldine Wrightsel Frye. A lifelong resident of Vinton County, Tamara was a proud alumnus of McArthur High School and Ohio University. She taught elementary students of Vinton County for 31 years before retiring in 1994. Her students were traditionally treated to her rendition of the ""Fudge"" books. For many years, Tamara thoroughly enjoyed her McArthur bridge buddies. Her sense of humor and ever-present smile became her calling card for friends, family, and strangers alike.

Her love of family led Tamara and Jeff, her husband and best friend of 45 years, to Sanford, North Carolina, to be near her daughters, Jill and Carla. Her life was greatly blessed by the addition of son-in-law Charles even though he is not a Duke fan and granddaughters Mackenzie and Sydney.

Tamara's spiritual foundation was nurtured by her church families of the First Presbyterian Church in McArthur, where she was called as elder, treasurer, and member of the choir, and the First Baptist Church in Sanford. At Sanford, she participated in the Hymns and Hers choir, the Friendship Class, the Oak Haven Nursing Home visitation group, and the Meals on Wheels volunteer program.

Besides her parents, she will be welcomed home by parents-in-law, King and Gertrude Crewey, grandparents, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Tamara will be greatly missed by her family and many friends and neighbors: Jeff Crewey, husband; Jill and Charles Blum, daughter and son-in-law; Mackenzie and Sydney Blum, granddaughters, all of Sanford, NC; Carla Crewey, daughter, of Columbus, OH; Roxanne and Rick Perdue, sister and brother-in-law, of Wellston, OH; Christine Gosling, sister; Tyler, Annie, and Tory Gosling, nephew and nieces, all of McArthur, OH; Juanita Crewey Dooley, sister-in-law, of Bartow, Florida; Mary Lou Crewey, sister-in-law, of Roanoke, Virginia; Crewey nieces and nephews; Robert Frye, uncle, of Montgomery, Alabama; Wrightsel and Frye cousins; and special friends, Eleanor Benedict and Dick and Jane Smith.

The family will receive friends at the Garrett-Cardaras Funeral Home, 201 W. High St., McArthur, Ohio on Thursday, May 13th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Graveside services will be conducted on Friday, May 14th at 10:00 am at the family plot in the Elk Cemetery in McArthur, Ohio. A memorial service will be celebrated at the First Baptist Church in Sanford, NC on Sunday, May 16th at 4:00 pm with Dr. Jeff Clark officiating. Family will receive friends following the service in the church fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, Tamara's family requests that charitable donations be made to the First Baptist Church Capital Fund, 202 Summit Dr., Sanford, NC 27330 and/or to Tamara Crewey Cancer Fund at The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital in honor of the work and friendship of Drs. Byrd, Marcucci and Saab, 650 Ackerman Rd., P.O. Box 183112, Columbus, OH 43218-3112.

Please sign her online guestbook at www.cardaras.com