William E. "Bill" Crook

William E. “Bill” Crook, 93, of Valdosta, passed away August 31, 2021, at Fellowship Home after a lengthy illness. “If you can’t play a sport, then be one!” This was always the final remark as Bill Crook signed off after broadcasting radio football games, and he was certainly a sport!
William Earl Crook was born June 30, 1928, in DeFuniak Springs, FL to Earlie Shannon Crook and Elizabeth Smith Crook. He joined the Army immediately following high school graduation and served as a paratrooper. After his service, he enrolled at Florida State University. While there, he was a clown in the FSU Flying High Circus, a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and lettered in volleyball. It was there that he met and married his lifelong sweetheart, Anita Lunsford Crook. He graduated from FSU in 1952. Following his graduation from FSU, he was a high school teacher and coach and later had a lengthy career in the insurance business.
He and Anita were charter members of Park Avenue Methodist Church in Valdosta where he was a Sunday School teacher and served on numerous boards and committees. Upon moving from Valdosta to Lake Octahatchee, they joined and became active members of the Lake Park United Methodist Church. He taught the Gibraltar Sunday School class there for 17 years as well as chairing numerous committees and overseeing the rebuilding of the church following the fire that destroyed the 114 year old church in 1988.
Bill was a lifelong athlete and sports enthusiast. He coached little league football teams and for many years coached the Valdosta Wildcat Has Been football teams against the Will Be teams of his friend Coach Wright Bazemore. He was an active member of the touchdown club and was well known as the Wildcat Radio play by play voice for over 15 years. He later became the radio play by play announcer for the Lowndes High Vikings and was the only person to have the pleasure of calling play by play for State Championship games for both these amazing, local, rival teams.
He was active in the South Georgia Walk to Emmaus community and helped with the construction of some of the buildings at Camp Tygart which are in used in this outstanding Christian program today. One of his proudest accomplishments was his effort to have the former Cecil United Methodist Church building moved onto the campus of Camp Tygart where it serves today as Resurrection Chapel. He was a compassionate man and assisted in delivering meals with the Break Bread Together program for many years.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman and spent many years enjoying his hobby of training black Labrador retrievers for competition in AKC field trials. His passion for the outdoors was never more apparent than when he was at his home at Lake Octahatchee spending time with family and friends and raising Black Angus cattle. He also loved the Alligator Point area where his favorite activity was mullet fishing.
Bill was proceeded in death by his parents, his daughter Cynthia Crook Fondren and his grandson Tally Marcus Wisenbaker, III. Bill leaves his wife of 70 years, Anita Lunsford Crook of Valdosta, daughters Carol Crook Wisenbaker (Mark) of Valdosta, Diane Crook Lewis (Marcus) of Adel and a son “Billy” William Charles Crook of Jennings, FL; grandchildren, Wendy Wisenbaker Garrett (Nathan), Fran Ramsey Wisenbaker, Joy Fondren Eldridge, Kendal Lewis Daughtrey and Haley Lewis, all of Valdosta; great-grandchildren, Parker Jones, Ramsey, Will and Brant Wisenbaker, Elizabeth and Hannah Eldridge and Cranford and Keaton Daughtrey all of Valdosta; and a sister-in-law, Bernice Lunsford Hawke of Leary, Georgia as well as a special caregiver, Lois Peak of Valdosta and godchild, Mimi Drake Wetherington of Valdosta.
The family is grateful for the wonderful care given to Mr. Crook by the staff and administrators of Fellowship Home, Valdosta.
A visitation for family and friends will be held at Lake Park United Methodist Church on Sunday, September 12, 2021, from 2 until 4 p.m. A private family service will be at a later date at Wildwood Cemetery, Lake Octahatchee. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to South Georgia Walk to Emmaus, PO Box 2032, Valdosta, GA 31604 or Break Bread Together, PO Box 1094, Valdosta, GA 31603. Condolences may be conveyed to the family on the obituary page of www.mclanecares.com Carson McLane Funeral Home