Carmelita Carla Crocker

Carmelita "Lita" Crocker - loving wife, stalwart sister, patient mother, outstanding auntie, and devoted grandmother - has died at home in Perrysburg, after a long battle with cancer. She was 70 years old.

Lita is survived by her husband, Douglas Crocker; her sister, Mona McGhee; her two sons, Brian and Kyle Crocker; her niece Melissa McGhee; her daughter-in-law, Rebecca Husman; and her two grandchildren, Dylan and Jackson Crocker.

Lita was born in Pittsburgh, the eldest daughter of Bernice and Alfonso Leos, moved to Toledo as a young child, and spread joy each day of her life.

Her methods were many. She was a whirlwind of activity, forever singing, sewing, cross-stitching, crafting, cooking, baking, and keeping her counters absolutely spotless. She festooned her home with handmade holiday decorations for all seasons, and sent a steady stream of thoughtful gifts to friends and loved ones.

But it was more than crafts and cookies: Lita lifted spirits. She multiplied joy.

She had this way of being able to stop people in their tracks with the sheer force of her goodwill, because they'd never encountered so concentrated a dose of sunshine. She didn't ask people: "How's it going?" Instead she'd ask: "What kind of adventure are you on?" And her enthusiasm for whatever you were up to was utterly contagious: if you shared your story, she made you more excited for that adventure, more confident you could face the challenge, more proud of what you'd achieved.

Lita transcended normal human limitations, running on little food, and even less sleep. It took her all afternoon to eat half a sandwich, a full evening to work through a sample-size candy bar, and she spent nearly every night in her workshops til the wee hours.

Yet she was tireless, never idle, capable of truly astounding output, blessed with inexhaustible patience and a fantastic well of optimism. And she succeeded because she just worked harder than anyone else. As a student, as a teacher, as a partner, and as a parent and grandparent, she gave everything she had in every moment of every single day.

For nearly fifty years, she ran a vibrant household with her husband where all were welcome, and the table was always full. For the neighborhood kids it was an oasis of warm welcomes, cold Cokes, and delicious snacks. For her family, it was a haven of comfort, love, and hope. And she was its center.

Lita had a special passion for working with young people. She spent many years as a teacher, librarian and college counselor, both within Toledo-area high schools, and via her own independent counseling practice. Her students’ triumphs elated her: nothing made her happier than seeing someone else succeed.

She had an uncanny ability to connect with kids, to meet them on their own level and draw them instantly out of their shells. As if, unlike most grown-ups, she'd managed to truly retain the innocent and excited perspective that only comes from seeing things with fresh eyes.

As a mother and aunt, she filled the world with wonder and stories, fantastic adventures and unconditional support. We kids believed we could do anything because Lita saw no other possibility. Her love enveloped us, formed us, extended beyond us to our friends and teams, all of whom adopted 'Mrs. Crocker' in their own ways.

Lita delighted in her grandchildren. Her immense love for them filled her home and somehow palpably extended all the way to LA, where she often ventured to spend incredible weeks immersed in the thick of their earliest childhoods. She was the Platonic ideal of Grandma, and beloved beyond all measure.

In her last years, she fought cancer without complaint, enduring an unending string of surgeries and treatments and unfathomable pain. Yet with the support of her family, and the dedicated care of her youngest son Kyle, her capacity for love and her zest for life endured.

Last December, the Christmas Spirit miraculously lifted her out of her illness, and she got to spend one more magical Holiday together with her loved ones, nearly a full week for which her spirit, and all those who love her, are eternally grateful.

In the end, all this might seem like the over-excited hyperbole of the recently bereaved. But if you knew Lita, and you're reading this now, you and I know it's the 100% capital-T Truth.

She was one-of-a-kind; she was full of love; and she will be missed.

There will be a celebration of Lita’s life at a later date for friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg, The Ohio State University dance team, or an organization you passionately support.