Cancer's return takes life of mayor.

Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard

JUNCTION CITY - Longtime Mayor Larry Crowley died early Monday, a week after resigning because of resurgent bladder cancer.

The retired utility company purchasing agent spent all of his 63 years in his hometown - 26 of them as mayor or city councilor.

The swiftness of Crowley's death stunned longtime council colleagues, who praised him for pouring so much energy into his unpaid post.

"He loved Junction City and he just gave it everything he had," said Council President Dwight Coon, who became acting mayor upon Crowley's July 9 resignation. "It's a sad day - I lost a very dear friend."

Coon, 45, said he wasn't surprised, however, when Crowley disclosed in his resignation letter that his cancer had returned "with a vengeance."

"He and I went over to Three Rivers (casino) about a month ago, just to enjoy the day, and he told me that he didn't feel well and suspected it was back. But he never complained."

Coon said Crowley's quiet but strong leadership style first impressed him when the pair met through Kiwanis Club 10 years ago.

"He was quiet, had kind of a subtle smile," Coon said. "He spoke very little, but he spoke volumes and had direction when he did. He just caught my attention from the word go."

Crowley mentored a new generation of council members after Coon and others joined in 2001, the acting mayor said.

`A classic example was the way he would come to you and say, `I would like your support on this,' ' said Coon, a grass seed farmer. `He would always give you some background on it, so you knew where he was coming from. And he'd say, `If you can't support it, I under- stand.' '

Councilor David Brunscheon, 51, agreed, adding that Crowley "always had the best interests of the people of Junction City in mind."

"He was just a great leader," said Brunscheon, a production manager at Lochmead Dairy. "We didn't always agree, but we agreed to disagree. To me, he was a great guy. This is a terrible loss."

Crowley's family announced his death in an e-mail message sent by his daughter, Angie Norris, about 5:30 a.m. Monday.

"Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for my dad and our family," she wrote. "I know he knew that each one of you cared for him.

`After a short but comfortable few days, he now is resting in peace. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers."

Crowley, who had been receiving hospice care since July 10, died at home at 2:40 a.m., Norris said Monday afternoon.

At his request, there will be no funeral. Instead, a public celebration of life will be scheduled at a future date, she said.

The late mayor and his wife, Linda, also have a son, Aaron. The couple were married for 41 years, and Crowley once postponed a scheduled Feb. 14 council meeting so he wouldn't disrupt his tradition of taking his wife out to dinner on her favorite holiday.

Coon on Monday canceled a July 24 council meeting because of Crowley's death.

"Our hearts aren't in it," he said. "People just need a little time to grieve and deal with this."

The only major item of business on the agenda was a proposed city gas tax, which now will be considered at the Aug. 14 meeting, City Administrator David Clyne said.

Clyne called Crowley a "very hardworking mayor" who was easy to work for.

"He understood Junction City very well," he said. "He put in an incredible amount of public service - the city obviously went through its ups and downs during that time, but Larry was very admirable and honorable. The community, I'm sure will honor that.

`I viewed him as a friend. He was a good man. This is a loss to everybody."

Coon said he's willing to become permanent mayor, should the rest of the council choose to appoint him, but will recommend putting off such a decision until September.

"I certainly didn't want to become mayor for this reason," he said.

"And if the council has someone else in mind, that's fine. We're not going to rush this along."