“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Freddie Joe (Fred) Crosby of Greenwood, Indiana, passed peacefully into eternity on December 4, 2017, at St. Francis Hospital in Greenwood from complications related to a stroke. He was surrounded by his children, their mother and his former wife of more than 35 years, Nancy (Elbrink) Crosby, and members of his extended family.

Fred Crosby was born on December 14, 1939 in Princeton, Indiana, to Joseph T. and Irene E. (Miskell) Crosby of Centenary, Indiana. Fred lived in the Hoosier State throughout the majority of his life with the exception of brief and adventuresome moves to Jupiter, Florida and Seattle, Washington in the 1960s. He worked in a number of roles throughout his life but served principally as a salesman for The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company and as a long-term sales executive at various Central Indiana automobile dealerships including Country Ford in Shelbyville.  

Fred is survived by four children: Paul (and wife Clara) Crosby, Darren (and wife Nicole) Crosby and Jodie (Crosby) Ferise, all of the Indianapolis area, and Jeff (and wife Cindy) Crosby of Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren – Audra, Morgan, Drew, Dustin, Jennifer, Christopher, Rayna, Cameron, Aaron, Tony, Paige, Logan, Courtney, and Rachel – and many great-grandchildren.  Fred considered these children and grandchildren to be far and away the greatest accomplishment of his life and he regularly bragged on their successes to anyone who would listen.  They were his pride and joy.

To each of his children, Fred passed along a love of music and sports. He was a life-long St. Louis Cardinals fan and one of his enduring memories was attending a 1968 World Series game at Busch Stadium between his beloved team and the Detroit Tigers. He also loved Indiana University basketball and raised his family to bleed cream-and-crimson.  He wept openly when IU defeated the University of Kentucky on Christian Watford’s buzzer-beater in 2011.  Such was the kind of passion and loyalty he carried for the people and things he loved.

Fred was preceded in death by his mother and father as well as his sister, Sondra (Crosby) Dowell.  Although he loved and cherished his life on earth, he spoke often of his anticipation for being reunited with his family once again. His family trusts that there was great joy at that reunion.

A celebration of life will be held at 6 p.m. on December 27 at the Moral Township Fire Department, 8333 N. Frontage Road, Fairland, just off I-74near London, Indiana, where Fred lived for many years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Indianapolis, specifically designated to Precious Words Africa, a project founded by his daughter and grandchildren to promote educational opportunities for the children of Ghana, West Africa, which Fred had supported for several years.