Iris Thay Crossley (STH ’77)
This obituary was originally posted by the Tribute Archive and can be found here.
Iris Thay Crossley was born on January 4, 1953, in Freedman’s Hospital in Washington, DC. She and sisters Marcia and Greta were raised in Southeast DC by their parents Garnett Crossley, a Library of Congress administrator, and Mazola Crossley, a U.S. Post Office supervisor, who instilled tChristian values in their daughters.
In 1974, Iris earned her bachelor’s degree in religion at Albright College, and in 1977 her master’s in theology at Boston University, the same college where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. earned his doctorate. Iris had a feminist perspective of theology, advocated for women’s leadership within the church, and was a member of the Black Seminarians who advocated for civil rights. In a more progressive era, Iris probably would have become a pastor, but that route was seldom available to women at that time. Instead, she was highly involved in church at various times in her life.
After graduate school, she worked in Chicago at a women’s prison creating programs for incarcerated women. At the encouragement of a friend, she moved to Northern California and lived in the Bay Area for more than 30 years. For about two decades, she was an academic advisor at various colleges including Dominican University, University of California, Berkeley, and Northern Virginia Community College.
In California, Iris found the perfect place for her trend-setting ways. Long before it became popular, Iris became a vegetarian, bought organic foods, and used natural cleaning and health products. She also loved to learn and took classes throughout her life, including Arabic, voiceover training, and singing.
Iris married Ron Thomas in DC in 1982. In 1992 she achieved her proudest accomplishment by giving birth to daughter Kali Crossley Thomas. At the time of Iris’ death they were not only mother and daughter, but also best friends. Kali and Iris discussed life’s joys and challenges, bonded over food, books, and podcasts, and gave each other advice. Kali is thankful to have a mom who supported her in all of her adventures and personal and professional goals.
After retiring, Iris moved back to DC to live with her sister, Greta. Iris took advantage of living in the nation’s capital by visiting museums and attending local events. In 2013, she protested every Monday in front of the White House to educate people about the need for gun control. She was a woman of routine so you could always find her at Whole Foods, Ross, walking around the U.S. National Arboretum, or at home cheering on the Washington Commanders.
Iris departed this life at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on July 7, 2023. Iris leaves cherished memories with: her daughter Kali Thomas; sister Greta Crossley; sister Marcia Powell, her husband Godfrey Powell; nephew Godfrey Powell Jr., his wife Stephanie Powel, and their children, Godfrey Powell III, Mireya Powell, Wolf Powell, and Naiyeli Powell; nephew Jared Powell; niece Kimberly McCain, her husband Desmond McCain, and their daughter Ava McCain, former husband Ron Thomas, and many friends.