Jessica Crowder

Lt Col Jessica Walker Crowder, MD, USAF, age 39 passed away peacefully in her sleep Tuesday, December 27, 2016, after a long 6 year struggle with cancer. Surviving are her husband of Jason Crowder and her three little boys, twins Jackson and Jett, age 7, and Jace, age 6.
She was born June 2, 1977, in Recife, Brazil. She lived most of her young life in Fort Payne, Alabama, where she graduated from Fort Payne High School with a straight-A average. She played various sports but was a dedicated soccer star from a very young age traveling all across the country playing on the Alabama Angels select team which was Alabama state champion every year from age 12 through age 17. Her Fort Payne High School women's soccer team was state champion all four years with Jessica graduating in 1995 holding all school scoring and assist records.
Attending Birmingham Southern College on four year academic and soccer scholarship she graduated cum-laude with honors in pre-med biology. She was a four year captain of the women's soccer team achieving All-Conference and honorable mention All-American and Scholastic All-American honors. She was honored as the Birmingham Southern scholar athlete of the year upon graduation in 1999. Having joined the U.S. Air Force her junior year, she also received the Birmingham Southern/Samford University Air Force Cadet of the Year award upon graduation. Later, in her first year of eligibility, she was inducted into the Birmingham Southern Sports Hall of Fame
Attending the University of South Alabama medical school, she and her husband to be, Jason, graduated with honors in May of 2003, and were married the day after graduation. After finishing their residency, they moved to Biloxi where Jessica practiced Neurology at Keesler Air Force base and Jason set up private practice in Radiology. Their twin boys were born in 2009 and Jace followed 18 months later. Shortly thereafter, Jessica was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer in late 2010. She battled the disease while continuing to work treating thousands of active duty and retired military patients until April of this year having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, USAF.
Also surviving are her parents, John and Linda Walker, of Fort Payne, Alabama, and sisters, Jennifer (Drew) Walker Weber and Juliet (Justin) Walker Richards and nieces and nephews, Jemma, Braxton, and Jasmine all living in the Biloxi area, and many uncles, aunts, and cousins and hundreds of dear friends whose prayers have sustained the whole family through the past six years.
Having lived a life full of accomplishment, nothing ever remotely approached the joy and fulfillment she found in her daily role as loving wife and mother of her little men. Jessica requested that upon her passing rather than flowers or other memorials she preferred that friends so desiring might instead make a contribution in her name to the American Cancer Society.
A visitation will be held on Friday, December 30, 2016, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm at the RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 13872 Lemoyne Blvd., Ocean Springs.
Online tributes may be offered at www.riemannfamily.com