Nathan Jay Crawford (senior), 22, died Feb. 18, in Seattle, Washington, from a glioblastoma.
His mother, Alexa Crawford, said that Crawford chose to stay in school in spite of being in and out of cancer treatments.
“He wanted to be at Oxy,” she said. “We’re super grateful for that.”
Crawford also volunteered to be part of an experimental cancer drug trial. The experiment was a triple blind, so he never knew if he got the drug or a placebo, his mother said.
“He for sure wanted to contribute to science,” she said.
His father Ron Crawford called the years at Occidental a total gift.
“He wanted to be a normal college student […] he didn’t want to like, go climb Mount Kilimanjaro or jump out of an airplane or anything like that,” his father said.
His parents said that he was always excited about Occidental and his Urban & Environmental Policy major. Crawford’s childhood best friend Cade Evered said he cared about the climate problem deeply and wanted to leave the world better than he found it.
“Over the pandemic, he would go completely alone, drive up to hiking spots in Washington [and] go on hikes,” Evered said. “He was super passionate about nature and natural beauty in general.”
Crawford took part in the Community Organizing course where he interned with SIEU Local, quickly building the trust of organizers and sitting in on union negotiations.
Crawford was co-captain of the Ultimate Frisbee team. His friends said he was someone who would always catch your throw. On Detox, Occidental’s Ultimate Frisbee Team, captains are elected by their teammates every year. Crawford earned the title his sophomore and junior year and did not take that responsibility lightly.
“He’s the one who would sit down with you and really go in depth with how to throw and all the techniques that he uses,” teammate Luke West (senior) said. “He didn’t really cut too much. He wasn’t the guy scoring, but he was always the guy setting people up […] if you were open, he would find you.”
Crawford’s nickname on the Ultimate Frisbee team was “Mr. Consistent,” Ian Terrell (senior) said.
“It really kind of stemmed from him just being really consistent with his throws, but I think it applies more so to his personality in general,” Terrell said. “He might be one of the most consistently positive people I know.”
Dylan Kuskin (senior) remembered Crawford saving the day after being locked out of his room one morning in nothing but the pants he slept in.
“I put my head against the door, and I say, ‘Hey, Siri, call Nathan,’ and he picks up, because we’re supposed to go mattress shopping in 20 minutes,” Kuskin said. “I walk down to the lobby of Berkus, I walk outside shirtless, no shoes, nothing, and I get in Nathan’s car, and he gives me everything.”
Crawford was a fervent Seattle Mariners baseball fan, attending games with his family throughout his childhood. A baseball player himself, Crawford was coached by his father from Little League up until high school. In his freshman year of high school, he made the game-winning diving catch in left field for the state championship.
“In his bedroom at home, lining the roof of his room […] he has the hats of every baseball team in the MLB,” Kuskin said. “If he was in a common room, he was oftentimes watching a baseball game.”
Within his circle of friends, Crawford was known to have a superb taste in music which he inherited from his dad, his former roommate Alex Witten (senior) said. His taste spanned from ’70s bands like Boston, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and REM to modern indie bands The Marias and Still Woozy. Crawford played instruments both independently and with others.
While he grew up playing guitar, the jazz band Crawford’s friends assembled in high school lacked a bass player. His mother said her son stepped in and learned to play the bass for them.
“I think that was a perfect instrument for him because he could just be […] consistently in the background doing the right thing all the time,” Alexa Crawford said.
Crawford was an unwavering confidant for the people he cared about, always inquiring about his friends before mentioning himself. According to his quadmate, Amare Askerneese (senior) Crawford was a great listener.
“He has the ability to make other people comfortable in their own skin and make them feel appreciated for how they are without feeling like they have to explain themselves,” Askerneese said.
Crawford’s sly humor was beloved, and his laugh was unforgettable. Kuskin recalled cracking jokes sometimes with the sole purpose of hearing him laugh.
“His laugh, it was incredible,” Evered said. “You [couldn’t] help but laugh when he laughed.”
On the night of Crawford’s death, his group of friends from Occidental invited Evered to their house to spend time sharing stories about their dear friend.
“He does live on through them,” Evered said. “He chose the nicest, most positive [people]. Everyone in his circle resembles him.”
Nathan Jay Crawford was born Dec. 12, 2003. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his younger sister, Claire, a junior at Bowdoin College. His family also has a dog named Izzy.
Contact Lucinda Toft at ltoft@oxy.edu
