I keep thinking about Wade Crowder, above, and our occasional encounters at Straub’s, where I last saw him about a month ago. We chatted about recipes and how much we both loved to cook, and that turned into a discussion about some bit of neighborhood news. That’s the kind of man Wade was, an easy conversationalist, whether the topic was gardening, art, fashion, and especially the CWE.
Judging from the huge number of people who gathered at Brennan’s BeeHive June 1 to celebrate Wade’s life and shower their love on Bea and their daughters, it was apparent that many friends came from all over the St. Louis area. There were former neighbors from the 4400 block of McPherson where the Crowders lived for 27 years, and where Wade became known as the “Mayor of McPherson.” There were people Wade met while tending gardens, or would-be-gardens, at the cul-de-sacs at Maryland & Boyle and McPherson & Taylor, and those who got to know Wade through the annual holiday pop-up shops he and Bea operated each holiday season. Those pop-ups, which began in 2010, were the first ones CWEnders experienced in the neighborhood. The boutiques surfaced in a different CWE location each year. This past winter, Wade transformed what had been Herbie’s cafe into a colorful bazaar of wonderful blankets, scarves, hats, gloves, etc., at unbelievable prices. See previous posts on the pop-ups here and here.
The photo above was taken for a 2011 post: “The final picture in today’s post shows Zhu Wei’s China China sporting appropriate red scarves from Bea and Wade Crowder’s pop-up shop, above, located next to Starbucks.”
Photography by Cheryl Tadin
In January 2015 Wade, photographed with CWEA past president Doug Teasdale, was presented with The Polk Award at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Central West End Association.
Each year the CWEA presents two awards at the annual meeting. The Polk Award is presented to an individual who has exhibited outstanding support and/or contributions to the betterment of the neighborhood. This year the Polk Award was presented to Wade Crowder, above left, “for his singular dedication to the enhancement and ongoing maintenance of the streetscape in the Cathedral Square District. Examples of the many initiatives undertaken by Crowder include: Refurbishment of the historic-style lamps & posts throughout the district; cleanup and ongoing maintenance of the vacant and overgrown lot on the northwest corner of Maryland & Boyle; and beautification of numerous overlooked patches of ground by creating and maintaining new gardens.”
Wade, a gifted artist, emailed in April 2011 that I should stop by to see Mona McPherson, whom he had just painted on his garage. Read post on alley art here.
I regret that this last photograph of another of Wade’s drawings isn’t as good as it could be, but it shows another dimension of this talented man.
In Wade’s honor, Bea Crowder and her daughters are planning to plant several trees around the neighborhood, which seems a fitting tribute for a wonderfully generous and engaged CWEnder.
Rest in peace, Wade.
Neither of us were aware of Wades passing. I was Wade’s neighbor
for years when I lived in the Greystone.
We are shocked and saddened and send our sympathy to the Crowder family. Ron & Stacy Silverman