“Tom’s passions were strong and his commitment to education was unwavering. You would hear him say often, ‘Kids don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,’ and this truly sums up the man and person he became and continued to be,” his family said in his obituary.
The history
Crowe was born in 1950 in Lafayette, Indiana, where he grew up living on a pig and cattle farm with his parents and four brothers, according to his obituary. His career began in education in 1972 as a teacher and coach.
Crowe served as principal of Willis High School from 1989-91 before serving as superintendent of Willis ISD from 1993-97. Crowe later served as interim superintendent in 2023 after former Superintendent Tim Harkrider was named the superintendent of College Station ISD, as previously reported by Community Impact.
In a Jan. 1 statement, the district mourned the loss of Crowe.
“His dedication to students, staff, and the Willis community left a lasting impact. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who were touched by his leadership and service,” WISD officials said.
Quote of note
“Tom Crowe—you were one of a kind and you will certainly be missed,” WISD board President Kyle Hoegemeyer said in a Facebook post. “We became fast friends and had a mutual respect for each other. We loved to joke around. Thank you for your service to our district but most of all, thank you for your friendship.”
