Obituary of James Edward Crites

James Edward Crites, 87, of Bossier City, LA, passed away peacefully in his sleep, March 14, 2020, at the Northwest Louisiana War Veterans Home. 

Mr. Crites was born in Lafayette, Indiana on April 28, 1932.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Applegate Crites; father, Harry R. Crites; mother, Helen Marie Crites; sister, Marilyn Maxine Coleman; brother, Harry R. Crites, Jr. (who died at the age of 20, He was the only Navy casualty and one of 31 U.S. Troops to die in the Berlin Airlift).

Mr. Crites joined the United States Air Force in 1952 and retired in 1972 from Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ where he lived until 2017 before moving to Bossier City.  He was very proud of his military service.  Shortly after retiring from the Air Force he obtained his Private Pilot’s License and owned several planes throughout the remainder of his life and enjoyed flying as often as he could.  He enjoyed traveling and was an avid golfer.  He was a lifetime member of the Elks Club and a member of the PUMA Air Museum in Tucson, AZ.

He is survived by: son, James E. Crites, Jr. (wife, Millie) of Bossier City, LA; daughter, Kim Crites Larson of Dayton, Indiana; two step-daughters, Bobbie Kowalski (husband, Larry) of Georgetown, TX; Roya Elerick (husband, Wayne) Ft. Worth, TX;  grandchildren: Erin Crites Morrison (husband, Jerad) of Huxley, TX; Ethan Crites of Bossier City, LA; Noble Burkhead (wife, Kim) of Ankeny, Iowa; Danielle Burkhead-Wilson (husband, Eric) of Indianapolis, Indiana;  great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.  Mr. Crites was proud of his family history and military service.

Thanks to Boone Funeral Home for guiding the family through this difficult time.   Their willingness to work through the tremendous change brought on by the Coronavirus has been appreciated. There has been a delay in planning a memorial service due to the Coronavirus restrictions. An announcement will be made about a memorial service if the family is able to make plans within a reasonable timeframe.

The family of James E. Crites wishes to thank the employees at the Northwest Louisiana War Veterans Home for their outstanding care they gave during his stay there.  Special thanks to Wing 2 and his special angel.   

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Shriners Hospital-Shreveport, LA.