William ‘Woody’ Crouse

Mr. Crouse passed away on Wednesday, March 10 at Adirondack Medical Center, Saranac Lake.

William was born on Aug. 23, 1928, in Syracuse, the son of Lawrence Peter and Rose Elizabeth Lawson Crouse. He graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in 1946. He was a Boy Scout at a young age and achieved Eagle Scout status. He enlisted in the Navy, where he was a radio technician and served in the Korean War before being discharged in 1953. Using the G.I. Bill, he enrolled at SUNY Oswego and graduated with a bachelor’s in Industrial Arts. William married Elena Sartor in 1956 in Syracuse. They then moved to Tupper Lake in 1957, and he started as an industrial arts teacher at Tupper Lake Central School District, where he worked for 26 years before retiring in 1983. Another accomplishment he was proud of was attaining his amateur radio (ham radio) license. After retirement, he began building Adirondack guideboats, building 17 guideboats in total. In 1986, he travelled to Ireland and spent six months building a boat at the Mallow Castle in County Cork. Later on in his life he wrote and published two books: “The Navy Way (A Memoir)” and “Why I Hate English (An Anthology of Idioms, Slangs and North County Sayings).”

Some of the hobbies that he enjoyed in life were fishing, hunting, tying flies and building Adirondack furniture. He belonged to the Moose Lodge for 50 years and the Big Simond Hunting Club for over 60 years. He was a member of the VFW and took part of many Korean War veterans reunions, including the 50th anniversary reunion. He was also an avid parishioner of St. Alphonsus Church in Tupper Lake.

There was nothing that he cherished more than his family. He is survived by his three children: Patrick Crouse and his wife Sheila of Piseco, Thomas Crouse, of Tupper Lake and Linda Farnsworth and her husband Steve of Tupper Lake; 14 grandchildren: Emma, Abby, Anna, Emmy, Tessa, Amanda, Brenna, Victoria, Jonathan, Kristopher, Thomas, Liza, Gwen and Matthew; 13 great-grandchildren; his brother Henry Crouse and his wife Barbara of Syracuse; his sister Mary McKinley and her husband Richard of Vestal; a dear friend, Deborah Roberts; and several cousins, nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents and his brother Peter Crouse.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Honor Flight Program, Box L-4016, Columbus, OH 43260-4016, and the Tupper Lake rescue squad, 169 Main St., Tupper Lake, NY 12986.

Condolences may be made online at www.fraryfuneralhomes.com.