Eulogy for Crystal

Eulogy for Crystal LaGrange by Jason LaGrange
I would like to thank all of you for joining us today to celebrate Crystal’s life. My name is Jason and I am honored to be here today as Crystal’s husband and father to our beautiful children Gaven, Aiden, and Rylee.
I met Crystal 8-years ago…she was enjoying a quiet evening after work with her friend Antonella until I decided to interrupt their conversation to introduce myself. Antonella played along, but Crystal made it clear that she had no interest what-so-ever. Usually I would have walked away and had a good laugh with my buddies, but this was no ordinary encounter. Her dismissal caused me to reevaluate all of my corney lines and after hours of trial and error…maybe even fatigue…she gave in and we all decided to go out.
We had a great evening and as we made our way back to her car Crystal and Antonella found my CD collection and pulled out a copy of OMD. This is not a very masculine CD and I thought for sure they would jump out of the car in laughter, but they continued to play along. We made it back to their car, exchanged numbers, and Crystal gave me a kiss on the cheek. The next day I pulled out my cell phone to give Crystal a call and noticed a number with only 9 digits – I couldn’t believe I messed up the number.
A couple of weeks went by and no call from Crystal. Then one morning I decided to pull out the infamous OMD CD and to my surprise it had been replaced by a note from Antonella. My eyes lit up and I now had Crystal’s phone number. I gave her a call and we set our 2nd date – she even agreed to return the CD.
Plans were set and as I made my way to 14th and Pearl…which was not a great neighborhood at the time… I was surprised to see how quiet it was. A few months later I learned that Crystal had called 911 to report unusual activity before I arrived so the cops had just cleared everyone out. Looking back I think we were both pulling out all stops to make sure this was the perfect date – and it was. We had so much in common even though we came from very different backgrounds.
Throughout the next 4 years we had a blast dating, meeting new friends, visiting our families, purchasing our first home, and enjoying our engagement. It seemed as if everything was aligned just right for us as everything came so easy. Crystal’s laughter would light up any room, her compassion for all was unmatched by anyone I have ever met, she was dedicated to family, she knew how to have a great time under all circumstances, and possessed a responsible/professional ethic that inspired us all.
In 33 years Crystal accomplished her goals. As a teenager she dreamed of becoming a nurse and over the past 8 years she has touched so many with her kind hands and moral support. Here among us today are patients and co-workers she has touched throughout her amazing career. We are all better off to have known such a beautiful person.
She learned how to snowboard, mountain bike, play golf…thanks to uncle Randy, enjoyed hiking and even decided to complete a marathon just a few months after giving birth to Aiden. This is the first time I really noticed her competitive spirit – not only did she train and complete the race in an amazing time she beat me by more than and hour…and even more impressive she beat her dad by a couple of minutes.
Crystal wanted to see other parts of the world and had the opportunity to visit Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands. And most of all she dreamed of having a happy marriage and children to call her own. Despite her abbreviated time on earth Crystal accomplished these dreams and lived a complete life!
A special thanks needs to go out to Crystal’s mother Alma. Alma made sure Crystal was prepared to be a very special wife, mother, and nurse. The compassion, patience, stability, and personality we all grew to love was inspired and formed by a mother’s unconditional love and guidance.
Crystal used these tools to create a very special home for me and our children. She welcomed Gaven into her life with open arms and embraced responsibilities far greater than anyone could have imagined. From trips to and from Hockey, Basketball, Baseball, you name it Crystal was there. When it was time to do chores Crystal made sure Gaven did his part…I was always a bit soft when it came to taking out the trash or putting our clean clothes away…but she taught him the importance of working together as a family.
Aiden was the realization of her dream of motherhood. She was so excited when she learned that she was pregnant and enjoyed every single day of her pregnancy. Even when her ankles were swollen, or her back hurt, or she was stuck in labor, she cherished the experience. Crystal always commented that Aiden had his mother’s heart, his acts of kindness, gentle touch, and laughter made Crystal smile every day.
Rylee was the completion of our family. Crystal always dreamed of having a family of 5 in some combination of boys and girls and when Rylee arrived she felt like her life was complete. Crystal loved Rylee so much and was looking forward to walking thru life with her daughter. Late at night Crystal often teased me about getting prepared for Rylee’s first kiss, date, proms, marriage, children, and more. I know Crystal will remain with all of us in one way or another, but I think there will always be a special connection between Crystal and Rylee. In fact, I believe Crystal will live on through our children – especially her “little mamas” Rylee.
Crystal was the most appreciative person I have ever met. She was thankful for everything and envious of nothing. Remarkably, in her last hour it was very important for her to reach out to friends and family to thank them for their support. I challenge you to think about what you would do if you only had an hour to live and I think you will see what a special life we are celebrating. If Crystal was standing here now I know she would tell everyone here to be thankful and appreciative for every moment of every day, regardless of the circumstances – we may not have her courage or that final hour!