AGGIES IN THE NEWS

N.C. A&T Alumna Creates Endowment to Honor Her Husband after His Battle with ALS

In 1996, John Crews Jr. and Courtney Bush Crews both graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University but never crossed paths. John was an all-American football player who dominated the fields from 1992-96 at Aggieland and Courtney was a psychology major who had a desire to help people.

“After graduation, John and I were introduced at a mutual friend’s wedding when we both lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” said Courtney. “The moment we met, there was an instant friendship and we were soon married.”

The Crews settled into their lives together in Tulsa, where Courtney pursued a career in social work and John worked as an accountant. They had two children when John decided it was time to move back to North Carolina in 2004.

“Life was perfect. I was married to a man that was very loving and loyal to his family of three children. He was a special type of guy who would give you the shirt off his back; you just don’t meet people like that every day,” Courtney said.

In 2016, everything changed when John started feeling ill and losing weight drastically. He was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALS is characterized by stiff muscles, muscle twitching and gradually worsening weakness because of muscles decreasing in size. Most people eventually lose the ability to walk, use their hands, speak, swallow and breathe. There is no cure for ALS.

“John had little signs here and there in the beginning of 2016 and after a few months we knew something was wrong when he couldn’t keep his weight on him and he had tremors in his hands,” said Courtney. “At this time, I was finishing up my nursing degree and I knew what this disease meant for him and my children.”

John Crews battled ALS for two years with his family by his side and passed away Sept. 18, 2018.

“During this time, I relied on my faith in God and the love and friendship I had for John to help him through process. Our children were his caretakers, and I made sure he had everything he needed to be comfortable,” Courtney said.

“The night before he passed, I talked to him on the phone and I told him he was irreplaceable and that the children would be OK. We said our goodnights and the next morning, I received the call to come to the hospital because he was passing,” she said. “However, John being who he was as a man, he didn’t want us to experience his last breath and he passed before I arrived. He was a good man and he did everything in his power to make sure his family was taken care of after his death.”

To honor the legacy and heart of her husband, Courtney established the John E. Crews Jr. Memorial and Family Endowed Scholarship. The endowment is merit based for students majoring in accounting or psychology with a 3.0 GPA or higher who have demonstrated a financial need. In addition, first preference will be given to a member of the football team or a graduate of John’s high school alma mater, James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“As a student who struggled financially while attending college, I wanted to do something to show our love for N.C. A&T by creating a scholarship to help students in need,” Courtney said.

To learn more about starting an endowment at N.C. A&T, please call the Division of University Advancement at 336-334-7600.