Croix Crutcher

Croix William Crutcher
Croix was an amazing person! He loved his friends and family, and he knew we loved
him! He was incredibly independent, intelligent, and driven! Because of Croix, we have
learned things, had experiences, and have memories we would not have had without him.
Croix’s absence will leave a hole that cannot be filled. At the same time, his life enriched us
in ways that will last as long as we remember him.
Croix’s senior year at Legacy High School and this summer with his friends were the best
times of his life! I’ve never seen him so connected, engaged, independent, and happy. He
was motivated and successful in school, dedicated to the band, worked on projects, studied
chemistry, cooked, worked at Sonic, and most importantly, spent time with his friends. He
was excited about studying chemistry in college. I will never get over losing him, but I’m
heartened to think that his days were good ones.
We saw no signs of depression. He was excited about studying chemistry in college, even
planning for graduate school. It makes his passing harder to understand and more tragic. But
Croix did have struggles. His emotions could be overpowering. When he was eight, he told
me, “When I’m really mad or happy, it feels like I’m falling off a cliff.” His volatile
emotions seemed much better, but I think there were times when his negative thoughts were
overwhelmingly painful!
It’s tempting to be angry with Croix for leaving us, but I cannot be. Only he knew his
struggles, the pain led him to this. I know he tried so hard and overcame so much! I feel
confident he did not do this to hurt any of us.
Croix was remarkable and unique. He was unrestrained and resisted following the rules. In
kindergarten, his mom and I got called in to talk to his teacher about how he kept getting
yellow cards every week. But never for this same thing twice and never with malice. He was
just testing the limits and being a non-conformist. He was unconcerned about being different
from his peers.
At 14, Croix taught himself how to cook, including gourmet recipes, and became the best
cook I knew. He cooked braised short ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted
asparagus. He cooked boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, osso buco, filet mignon, salmon,
homemade pizza, and exotic desserts. It never occurred to him that any of these recipes
might be ambitious for a beginner.
Croix was brilliant and driven! He took on more than almost anyone I know. He was
teaching himself college-level chemistry by watching online lectures and reading college
textbooks. Almost every project he attempted was a bit—or a lot—too ambitious, ranging
from his middle school rocket and electric go-kart projects to his recent chemistry analyzers.
He has inspired me to pursue my own projects.
Croix tried harder than most people I’ve known to reinvent himself. He switched to Legacy
High School to outrun his reputation for being a bit unusual at Stargate. He joined the band,
started working out, markedly improved his grades (from nearly failing algebra to getting an
A in Calculus 2), and switched from binge watching YouTube and gaming to studying
chemistry in his free time. He developed a fashion sense. This was from a kid who wore the
same burnt orange hoodie in middle school for a full year, in the winter and the summer.
Even so, I could never tell if his uncombed hair was the new fashion or if combing his hair
was just one step too far.
Even though he’s gone, he’s changed me and everyone he was close to in positive ways. I
learned so much from him, both intellectually and emotionally. I’ll forever treasure my
memories of him and be inspired by his vision and drive. I’ll never stop loving him!
Nathaniel W. Crutcher (father)
July 30th, 2023
PS. Thank you to everyone that has been a friend, a family member, a teacher, or a mentor to
Croix. Thank you to everyone that has supported Croix in his projects, and everyone that has
been there with him for the good times and the difficult times.