City of Tampa and Mayor Iorio why the bodies piling up????????/

Sherry Crawford, assistant to former Mayor Pam Iorio, dies
By Marty Clear, Times correspondent
In Print: Sunday, November 27, 2011


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Sherry Crawford retired as ad-ministrative assistant to Pam Iorio about three months ago.

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CLAIR MEL — Sherry Crawford never lived within the city limits of Tampa. But no one knew the city better.

Mrs. Crawford worked in various departments of the City of Tampa for 42 years. She worked in the Mayor's Office under mayors Pam Iorio, Dick Greco and Sandy Freedman. For the past eight years, she was Iorio's administrative assistant.

Freedman, who was a close friend for many years, said Mrs. Crawford initially had planned to retire about seven months ago. But Iorio relied on her to help run her administration. Mrs. Crawford stayed on until about three months ago.

Mrs. Crawford passed away Nov. 21 from lung cancer. She recently had celebrated her 61st birthday.

"I know everybody says this after someone dies, but it's really true," Freedman said. "I didn't know anybody who didn't just love Sherry."

Mrs. Crawford was born in Clair Mel and lived there virtually her whole life. She started working for the City of Tampa while she was a teenager. She worked all day and took classes at Brandon High School at night.

She never had another employer besides the City of Tampa.

"She loved working for the city," said her daughter, Michelle Crawford. "She just loved it."

She met her husband, James Crawford, in the mid-1970s. She was dating one of his co-workers and had met Crawford briefly. But then they saw each other at a Perkins Pancake House and started talking. They were together ever since.

"They were together for 35 years, married for 30," Michelle Crawford said.

Mrs. Crawford worked for almost a quarter-century in the offices of three mayors. Although she didn't officially become the mayor's administrative assistant until Iorio was elected, she often filled in under Freedman when her administrative assistant was on vacation.

It's a demanding job, Freedman said, that includes crafting resolutions and helping to solve citizens' problems.

Mrs. Crawford's detailed knowledge of the city bureaucracy, plus the professional associations she had developed with the people outside the government who made the city run, made her the ideal person for that job.

She also had exactly the right temperament.

"I was just saying the other day that I never once heard Sherry raise her voice," Freedman said. "I never heard her raise it to anyone in the office, never heard her raise it to her children, never heard her raise it anyone on the phone. I'm sure you understand that there are some crazies who call the mayor's office on occasion, but Sherry could always stay calm."

Iorio also praised Mrs. Crawford's contribution to the city.

"Her tireless work behind the scenes is an example to all who serve the public," Iorio wrote on her Facebook page.

Mrs. Crawford was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago but seemed to be getting better, her family said. She was expecting a long retirement. About three months ago, she and her husband moved from Clair Mel to a home they built in Plant City.

Her family was stunned a few weeks ago when Mrs. Crawford's health took a sudden downturn. She went back into the hospital last week and passed away just a few days later.

"She just loved that house in Plant City," Freedman said. "She was so excited about moving into it. It's a shame she only got to enjoy it for a few months."

Besides her husband, James, and daughter Michelle, Mrs. Crawford is survived by her son Jamie and her daughter Andrea Crawford-Carter.

Marty Clear writes life stories about area residents who have recently passed away. He can be reached at mclear@tampabay.rr.com.


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Viewing 1 - 2 of 2 comments Oldest First Newest First Top Rated

corporatestalkingEXPOSED Nov 26, 2011 8:58 PM Yesterday R.I.P. pretty lady with the kind smile. I'm sorry you didn't get to enjoy your house for MUCH LONGER.
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Report Abuse 0 1 corporatestalkingEXPOSED Nov 26, 2011 9:00 PM Yesterday Let's see, that's Pam's bodyguard, her admin assistant, not sure how many other city employees but I know it's A LOT, TOO MANY RESIDENTS to even sum up and other terror. But no one else notices this. I seriously doubt this lovely woman's health problems occurred naturally. (Phyllis Busansky R.I.P.)
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Report Abuse 1 1 ACC Nov 27, 2011 8:39 AM About 14 hours ago This is my mother and she battled lung cancer for over 2 years. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of someone and in this case it is your opinion of Mayor Iorio, but DO NOT imply that my mothers death was in anyway her fault. You have no idea what she went through and it is very disrespectful for you to make assumptions like this. You should have just left it alone after your first comment! Yes she was a very lovely lady. Reply
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corporatestalkingEXPOSED Nov 27, 2011 10:48 PM About -1 minutes ago I deeply regret the loss of your beautiful mother. Perhaps if you and I met and talked you would understand and perhaps even be much wiser as to the sordid ways of Tampa and the corrupt physicians. My own Mother was hit over the head and left to die in her driveway by the nephew of a Tampa Fireman whose Mother is city of tampa parking employee. My sister's house burned down and then she died of a 'heart attack' after being falsely diagnosed with diabetes, after a short ride in her car. My own car has been treated with the same toxins applied to her vehicle. The toxins (fire retardant?? unknown) make it very difficult to breathe and I have fainted once from them and also become violently ill more than once. A fire family now lives in my sister's home. You may consider it disrespect but more it is the highest respect for a woman who gave her short life to a city who never deserved her. I know what she went through. When my mother died the city became angry because she had left her home
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corporatestalkingEXPOSED Nov 27, 2011 10:53 PM Less than a minute ago ..to me and they had mistakenly believed they would get it through the same fire family who left her for dead in her driveway. The sister of the fireman also notified me of such and was "always around" to spin a tale when these horrendous things happened. BTW, my sister's home was two doors down from the fire family, Their branch were my beloved Mother's next door and trusted neighbors FOR YEARS. Yes, wonderful people. The one who hit my mother over the head also addicted my brother to crack cocaine along with another family member. ONE of those family members then was murdered a short time after my Mom and beloved SIS died six weeks apart. So, guess who was the first to commisserate? Yes, same city of tampa parking garage employee. She owns THREE HOMES on that salary and her kid is still doing and selling cocaine and whatever else while on felony probation for armed trafficking. It may be unsettling to you and you may not want to know it; do you think I DID??? Do you have any idea...
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corporatestalkingEXPOSED Nov 27, 2011 10:57 PM Less than a minute ago ..what a SHOCK that was??? And still really is? I'm reeling from the deaths of my beloved family AS YOU ARE and the city of tampa is trying to steal my mother's home from under us. I have two entire BINS FULL of what they did, the number of times the water co broke our fence, code violators came out weekly... people who worked for the city called my neighbors "untouchable" .. so not only do I know (by watching my friend's mother die the same sad and terrible way and her doctor right on henderson blvd is a corrupt and terrible man)what your beloved mother went through but I know the terrible pain you are in right now. I'm glad you read what I said, I hope it plants the seed for you to understand what those people are about. I sense something akin to federal charges may be in the wind for Iorio and so the less around the better. I also know my mother was not quite dead here and was likely murdered by hospital staff. So, please understand, I do know what I am talking about. And ..
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corporatestalkingEXPOSED Nov 27, 2011 11:01 PM Less than a minute ago ... your Mother is absolutely beautiful. IF something terrible happened to her, even more terrible than what you believe, she would want you to know. It's suspicious to me because I know so much. Please don't think I meant to hurt or bother you in any way but I have noticed that people ARE starting to wake up. Tampa is a terrible place and it is run by TERRIBLE people, horrible, awful, criminal, low-life people who would steal from and murder anyone for sometimes what may seem to be trivial reasons. I am sad for you because I still cannot really think too hard about my small, tiny son finding my mother at the end of her driveway and trying to talk to her ...."nanny ... nanny..." Those people all still have their jobs. The City of tampa HIDES one of them. I know he is a fireman but he is no NO LIST yet works at the fire station here EVERY DAY. I am sorry for your anger at me.... but every word I say is true. Hope and peace to you and yours.