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A tenacious legacy-builder, J. Michael Crabtree spent his life as a devoted husband, hard-working and committed servant of God and a loyal SNU alumnus and administrator.
John Michael Crabtree was born November 11, 1949 in Fostoria, Ohio, to John Dwight and Marie Crabtree. He passed away after a long illness on July 29, 2020.
After high school, Michael moved to Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio to earn an associate’s degree in music education. He moved to Bethany, Oklahoma to attend Southern Nazarene University, where he earned a bachelor’s in music education in 1972 and a master’s in language arts in 1976.
While in school, J. Michael met the love of his life, Cheryl Wallace, and they married in 1974. The Crabtrees enjoyed traveling, collecting antique books, autographs and gardening. They opened their home to more than a dozen students to help them continue university studies.
Crabtree began working for SNU in 1970 and spent the next 45 years serving on campus, and meeting with alumni across the US. He was co-chair of the $9.4 million campaign for the sciences to fund the KD and Mary West Sciences Laboratories.
In 1989, he was named to the university cabinet as the vice president of University Advancement that led to his last position as assistant to the president for Endowment Development and Planned Giving. Early campus roles as resident director for Bracken dormitory, assoc. dean of students, sports information director, alumni director, adjunct marketing professor, and editor of The Perspective Magazine gave J. Michael the opportunity to become personally acquainted with hundreds of alumni and friends of the University.
His philosophy of “friend-raising,” began when an unknown benefactor paid his school bill to keep him enrolled at SNU, an event he said changed his life. Crabtree focused on scholarships and endowments. Over $13,500,000 in 25 years was given due to his efforts. He hand-wrote letters to thank donors, and made thousands of personal phone calls.
In 2010, SNU honored Crabtree for his service by conferring a Doctorate of Humane Letters degree, and in 2015, he retired from the University he loved so much.
He served on the governing boards of civic, regional and national organizations, to support libraries, education and arts. He performed with the Oklahoma City Symphony Chorus, Canterbury Choral Society and was a member of Bethany First Church of the Nazarene where he was a 14 year member of the Landmark Quartet and in the music group ‘Rendition,
He is survived by Cheryl, his beloved wife of 46 years; mother, Marie Crabtree and brother, Joel [Eva] Crabtree, of Fostoria, Ohio; his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Walker, Rogers, Texas; and two sisters-in-law, Pam [Jim] Surber, Vernon. Texas; and Melissa Sykes, Low Gap, North Carolina.
Visitation will be 9am-9pm on Monday and the funeral service will be Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 10am at Mercer-Adams in Bethany. Memorial gifts in J. Michael Crabtree's name can be made to University Advancement, Southern Nazarene Univeristy, 6729 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK 73008.
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