Lydia Katherine Crowder

Lydia Katherine Berchem Crowder, 89, passed peacefully, on Saturday, February 21, 2015 in Viera Health and Rehab. , Melbourne, Florida. She was born in Pennsylvania on December 4th, 1925 to Joseph and Christine Berchem. She was an only child. Lydia was married to John Henry Crowder Jr., a World War II veteran and mechanical engineer with Pan American World Airways from December 25, 1950, until his passing. She resided in Syosset and later moved to Woodbury, L.I. She leaves behind her daughters Bonnie Couchman and Barbara Shepheard, their husbands Kerry Couchman and Fred Shepheard, and grandchildren Stephen and Alethea Couchman, Jennifer and Emily Shepheard. She also leaves behind relatives and friends in such far-flung places as Germany, Long Island, New York, and New Jersey. Lydia attended school both in the United States and Germany, graduating early from Cleveland High School, Queens in 1942. For a time she worked as the only female in a drafting office. She was quick to respond to the call for nursing students during World War II, obtaining her RN from Adelphi College in Garden City, N.Y. She was a member of the Alpha Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, nursing honor society. She worked in many aspects of nursing: as a visiting public health nurse, a floor nurse, and after obtaining her Masters of Science in Secondary Education from Hofstra University, worked as a school nurse health teacher 1971-74 at Shelter Rock Jr. H.S., 1970-71 at J.R. Kennedy H.S., 1975-85 at H.B. Mattlin M.S. in Plainview. She was a member of the National Education Association, and Plainview-Old Bethpage Congress of Teachers. She often worked nights in order to raise her two daughters. She taught them to love the ocean waves at Jones Beach, and she brought them with her on many trips to the Caribbean and Europe, visiting relatives in Germany. She also loved to play bridge with friends in the neighborhood. After her husband passed, Lydia became an active member of The United Methodist Church on Long Island , contributing her sewing, cooking and crafting skills for the United Methodist Women mission work. Although her friends there helped her to remain independent, she eventually moved to an assisted living facility in Florida, to be close to her daughter, Barbara. Memorial celebration to be held at Viera Health and Rehab., Melbourne, FL on Friday, March 27 at 10:15am. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to Woodbury United Methodist Church or American Macular Degeneration Foundation. https://www.macular.org/how-donate#memgift.