In Memoriam: Evelyn and Ray Crowley

The Columbus Museum mourns the loss of Evelyn and Ray Crowley, who passed away in August 2023. The Crowleys were a delight to be around, and their dedication to Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley made our community better. Their service to the Museum was both enduring and exceptional, and we were truly fortunate to have them as loyal friends and supporters.

Both Evelyn and Ray served on the Museum’s Board of Trustees. Ray offered his expertise in finance to the Investment Committee in the mid-1980s, while Evelyn was a longstanding and vital member of the Collections Committee, serving from 1988 until she was elected a Life Trustee in 2010. For many years, Evelyn and Ray were regular participants on the Committee’s annual trips to New York. Their love of art and their generosity to the Museum resulted in 15 acquisitions that were outright gifts or purchases toward which they contributed funds. Most recently, they donated Peach Trees in Blossom, Saddle River District, New Jersey #2 by John Marin, a major work by this important early American modernist and a transformative addition to the Museum’s holdings. Other gifts include Untitled (Wall Construction) by Burgoyne Diller, Night Rider by Gene Davis, Proserpine by Hiram Powers, Columbus Wall by William Christenberry, and Poem A by Bill Viola. Evelyn and Ray’s generosity also included participation in the capital campaign, Reimagining The Columbus Museum, in support of a gallery that is our new transition space between the art and history collections.

Evelyn and Ray will be greatly missed, but their lasting impact on the Museum will always be remembered.