Michael Alexander Crabb Jr's Obituary
Michael Alexander Crabb, Jr was born in Memphis Tennessee to M Alexander Crabb and Elizabeth Court. He contracted malaria at a young age and his mother said she had to spoil him because she thought he was going to die. He grew up working in the wood shop with his Pop, listening to Jack Buck calling Cardinals games on the radio.
Mike graduated from Central High School in Memphis and ventured off to Atlanta to attend Georgia Tech. After four semesters and not many credits to show for it, he was called back to Memphis for a heart to heart with Mom and Pop. After being called to active duty in the Air Force during the Berlin Crisis, luckily Mike enrolled at Mississippi State University. He would soon meet his future wife, Julia Piatt, at a music venue. Because he had a few drinks, he asked Julia if she was from a dry county; when she said no (a lie), he figured he could ask her to dance. So began a 60+ year relationship.
After marrying and landing back in Memphis, Mike joined his father and colleague at Crabb Engineering (previously, Ferguson & Crabb Engineering), a boutique land surveying company that served the Memphis area for almost 100 years.
Mike was a founding member
of the Memphis Coin Club and, in 1976, bemoaning the lack of conventions that focused on collecting rare paper money, founded the International Paper Money Show. The first years of the show were held at the Rivermont Hotel and later at the Memphis Convention Center. Many of Mike’s best friends could be found at the tables of “money shows.”
As a lifelong Cardinals fan, Mike took any opportunity he had to watch them play. For a number of years after retirement, he and Julia would head to Florida for Spring Training. He also loved watching local baseball, from the Memphis Chicks to the Memphis Redbirds. He was known to wait out rain delays for hours, long after his wife or kids had called it a night. He also loved giving players/managers bubble gum from the stands.
In addition to his other hobbies, Mike was an avid bowler on two leagues. He achieved a perfect 300 game in 1993.
Mike leaves behind his wife of 61 years, Julia P Crabb; three children, Michael Alexander Crabb, III “Trey” (Lisa) of Cincinnati, OH; Lynn Crabb (Tammy Seltzer) of Washington, DC; and Bill Crabb (Cheryl) of Memphis; and four grandchildren, Mary-Margaret Crabb McMullen (Daniel) of Brisbane, Australia; Michael Alexander Crabb, IV “Chip” of Celebration, FL; Dana Seltzer-Crabb and Liam Seltzer-Crabb of Washington, DC; his sister, Jane Crabb Druff (Frits) of Mountain Home, AR; and several nieces and nephews.
The family invites friends to gather Friday August 1, 2025, for visitation 5:00pm until 6:30 pm with funeral services to be held Saturday August 2, 2025, at 10:30am at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery 5668 Poplar Ave Memphis, Tn 38119.
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