Henry F. Crowe Jr., known to everyone as Buddy or Bud, was born on November 21, 1946, in Summerville, GA, and he passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on July 15, 2026. He lived the majority of his life on Cloudland Mountain, right past the state line into Alabama. People who knew him referred to him as one-of-a-kind. A legend. On most days, neighbors would see Bud driving to town with the dogs. He was a friend of all animals, especially dogs and cats.
Early in life he was employed by the Summerville Cotton Mill where he met Dianne, who later became his wife. Bud and Dianne spent 55 years of his life together. Bud also worked as a dozer driver in the coal mines and a carpenter for a few years. Later, he and Dianne operated a body shop and clean-up shop for cars in an old block building beside their home. When he retired, they started reading water meters for Cloudland Water (later it was bought out by Fort Payne Water), and they operated a small mowing business on the side. There isn’t much in this life that Buddy couldn’t do or didn’t know how to do. He and his wife even cut wood in the wintertime for heating. At the age of 79, Bud could run a chainsaw and cut up a tree faster than a young man.
Bud was an icon around his community. Even though he had what some might consider a rough exterior, he had a kind heart and would do anything to help someone in need. The neighbors often called on him for help. Long ago, some people gave him the nickname Ponytail because he has had long hair and a ponytail since the early 70s. One very well known fact about Bud is that he wore blue jeans in the winter and cut off blue jean shorts in the summer. If he had on socks with his shoes, he would wear long tube socks. If it was summertime, he pushed the socks down to the top of his shoes. One of the most unique characteristics about Bud is that he went around without a shirt most of the time. He would often (even at 79) drive down the road shirtless, but he always had a shirt in the car or truck ready to throw on when needed. It was his style. It was his preference. It helped make him unique. Bud lived life like he wanted.
In Bud’s younger years, he bought and learned how to fly a Cessna plane. He enjoyed playing the guitar and singing at the Menlo Barn Dance, an establishment he and his wife operated for years before it closed in 2025. Throughout most of his life, he enjoyed gardening; he was so very proud of his tomatoes and hot peppers. He liked his pepper so hot that it’d set his mouth on fire and make his eyes run. Bud was known as an excellent cook. Family and friends often asked him to cook Brunswick stew, barbecue, hamburgers, fried cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and beans with cornbread.
Bud also was known for telling a tale or two, usually with some extra details added in. If he were to give us any life advice right now, he’d probably say, “duct tape can fix anything” and “drive it till it quits.”
Buddy loved his family, his dogs, and his community. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Crowe; his daughters, Karen Pullam and Christy (Stacy) Burns; his grandson, Lee (Constance) Pullam; his granddaughter, Nicole (Chris) Pierce; his great grandsons, Landon Pullam and Atlas Pullam; his great granddaughter, Aleviea Pierce; his sister, Peggy Biddy; his brothers-in-law, Danny (Doris) Deering and Artie (Mary Jane) Steele; and several nieces and nephews. Bud is preceded in death by his dad, Henry Crowe Sr., and his mom, Beulah Viona Clark Crowe, known as Pat.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, July 20, 2026, with Reverend Steve Burns and Reverend Jeff Shaver officiating. Interment will follow at Mount Union Cemetery, locally known as Magnuson Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Tad Allen, Scott Howard, Taylor Steele, Nathan Hegwood, Yogi Hegwood, and Randy Rush. Honorary pallbearers will be the long-time patrons and friends of the Menlo Barn Dance.
Mr. Crowe will be in state at Mason Funeral Home, and the family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
Goodbye to a husband, a daddy, a paw paw, and a friend. Goodbye to the legend of Cloudland Mountain. Forever in our hearts and always remembered as the one and only, Bud Crowe.
