Roscoe E. Crozier

ROSCOE ELLSWORTH CROZIER was born on Friday, November 4, 1921, in Charleston, West Virginia. He was the third of seven children born to the union of Britton Brightworth and Barbara Davis Crozier. Roscoe had a normal childhood and graduated from Garnet High School in 1939. He was known by several nicknames throughout his life, including “Tadpole,” “Tad,” and “Taddy-Daddy.” Roscoe was unable to serve in WW II because of a back injury he sustained when he fell off a bridge as a child. Unable to follow in his brother, Robert’s path, Roscoe found another way to serve. He went to work in an ammunition factory in Nitro, West Virginia. Roscoe did not know that one of the explosives’ components was nitroglycerin. When his uncle got wind of the dangerous job Roscoe had, he strongly encouraged him to find different employment. When you have lived one hundred years, you have seen a lot and done a lot. Although Roscoe never learned to drive, he lived in a number of places, including Maryland, Michigan, Ohio (twice), Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, just to name a few and not in that order. Roscoe lived through segregation, Jim Crow, and other forms of discrimination but he persevered. He had a variety of jobs over the years including operating a bowling alley with his sister, Maxine. Unbelievably, Roscoe did not know how to bowl but later learned. Roscoe loved reading the newspaper and talking about current events. At one time, he read three newspapers each day. He loved to walk around downtown Cleveland, Ohio, when he lived there. We later learned that there was a casino downtown that he frequently visited. Roscoe played bass-fiddle in a jazz band, off and on, for nine years. To this day, it is not known if he read music or played by ear. His favorite music was Jazz. When he lived in Cleveland, you would usually find it playing in the background whenever you called him. One of Roscoe’s claims to fame was his quick wit. He shared life experiences and events that truly made you laugh. He had a quip for almost any situation. Roscoe, on occasion, stated that if he knew he was going to live this long, he would have taken better care of himself. Many of us can say the same thing about our own lives. Roscoe wrote poetry and had a few published in a book by his sister, Josephine. Roscoe shared in his poetry and in conversations that he had a self-inflicted wound, alcoholism, which started with the death of his brother, Robert. His healing began when he gave up whiskey and allowed God’s Holy Spirit to have a greater presence in his life. Roscoe’s greatest accomplishment was being sober close to sixty years for which he was grateful to God and AA. His only ‘vice,’ until his death, was his love of sweets. He would jokingly tell you that’s why he wore dentures. Roscoe often shared stories about his parents and siblings with many people. He greatly admired his parents because they did all they could to take care of their children. His mother took the children to church and it seemed like they stayed all day. At the age of fourteen, Roscoe was baptized at Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Charleston, West Virginia. He often said that he wished other families and their siblings could have the love that his mother instilled in them. He was proud of his siblings because after graduating from college, they would pitch in to help the others finish college. In fact, one of the reasons Roscoe did not go to college is that he realized his mother, after the tragic death of their father, needed help with providing for the other children. Roscoe’s love of family extended beyond his parents and siblings. Whenever any family member was recognized or got married, Roscoe and his Samsonite luggage would be there to support them. Some of his children remembered thinking their dad was rich because he would buy Dairy Queen ice cream for all the kids in the neighborhood. Some of his grandchildren have similar memories. They also reflected how he was there for them, and whenever they called him, Roscoe took time to listen. For almost fifty years, Roscoe had a missing puzzle piece in his life, a daughter, Patricia, whom he had never seen. God blessed them to connect in July 2002. His family circle was now complete. Our beloved Roscoe E. Crozier entered eternal rest on Sunday, May 15, 2022. He was a kind man. He tried to be a good person to others as he journeyed through this life. He was grateful for family and his dear friends. Roscoe was always willing to tell you one of his stories if you had a moment to listen. ROSCOE IS NOW AT PEACE. No more confusion. No more misery and pain. Roscoe was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; his wife, Myrtle; brothers, Robert Davis and Earl Vincent; sisters, Mary Adelade, Ruth Elayne, and Maxine; a number of brothers-in-law; niece, Barbara Wilson; and nephew, Tommy Abnathy. Roscoe is survived by four children, Melvin, Griselda, Patricia “Patti,” and Beverly; nine grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; nine great-great grandchildren; sister, Josephine Wilson; former daughter-in-law, Sandy Benning; several nephews and nieces, a host of other relatives and a few friends.