Essie Mae Crew was a deaconess at Mt. Enon Baptist Church.

Crew died Aug. 6, 2012. She was 78.

Crew was born Feb. 2, 1934, in Philadelphia.

She was educated in the Philadelphia public school system and graduated from Bok High School.

She grew up on Marshall Street in South Philadelphia with her childhood sweetheart, Willie Crew. Willie and Essie were married on March 31, 1951, and to this union, five sons were born.

In the late ’60s, Crew was employed as an environmental services worker at the University of Pennsylvania until her husband was paralyzed in a car accident. At this time, she resigned from her job to become his private duty nurse.

Crew’s primary love was caring for her family. She also enjoyed reading her Bible and Daily Word She loved sewing, shopping for food sales and telling jokes as she entertained at family gatherings. Her love for cooking was evident and she had a passion to serve anyone that was sick or grieving.

“You could always smell the delightful aroma of food cooking whenever you visited her home, especially on Sundays and [for] holiday dinners. She could make a meal out of anything,” her family said.

She believed in the word of God. She would always say “what’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong, and it doesn’t matter who you are.” She would also say “God will not bless you with a closed fist.” Whenever you were going through something she would say, “you want to go in my closet” and what would mean she would pray for you.

Crew served as deaconess at Mt. Enon for many years until her health failed.

She was preceded in death by her husband; two sons, Kenney and Bruce; and sister, Thelma Spells.

Crew is survived by her three sons, John, David Sr. and Jerel Sr.; five daughters-in-law, LaVerne, Cheryl, Lynda, Renee, Tanya and Rachel; four brothers, Bennie, Clarence, Rev. Eugene Summers and Rodger; two sisters, Elizabeth and Ruby; eight sisters-in-law, Hattie, Doretha, Pam, Carrie, Daisy, Rose, Lucinda and Frances; three brothers-in-law, Eddie, Pastor Wilbert Crew and Jerry; 20 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be held August 10 at Mt. Enon Baptist Church, 500 Snyder Avenue. Viewing is at 9 a.m. Services will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Mt. Lawn Cemetery, Sharon Hill.

Wood Funeral Home handled the arrangements.