Kristie Nicole Crowder, 30, of Charlotte, formerly of Morganton, passed away Friday January 6, 2023 at Atrium Healthcare in Charlotte following a bicycle accident.

Kristie was born on June 29, 1992 in Burke County to William Gordon “Buddy” Crowder and Pamela Bivens Crowder. She was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, and was employed by Passport of Charlotte as a Management Services Associate.

Kristie, a beautiful and remarkable young woman whose zest for life, infectious smile and unwavering kindness touched every single person who crossed her path. She graduated from Patton High School in 2010 and attended UNC Charlotte post graduation, double majoring in mathematics and political science. She was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and graduated in 2015. Post graduation, she stayed in the Queen City she loved so dearly and became very active in her Noda community. She was usually the youngest person attending the town halls and always looking for ways to make a positive difference and improve the quality of life for others. She was well known in her community and deeply loved by her circle of friends.

Kristie was one of the kindest, smartest, adventurous and wittiest souls anyone knew. She lived life to the fullest and didn’t let anything stand in her way of making her dreams come true. She loved to travel and explore new places, usually seeking out the best coffee shop or brewery in town! She was most proud of her travels in Spain, hiking 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago. Being as adventurous as she was, she continued her journeys venturing out solo to London, Iceland, and various parts of the US. She made each memory and experience count! She picked up a passion for photography in the last several years and unleashed a creative talent we all admired. Her eye for detail, catching the perfect light and seeing the beauty in every person or thing she photographed was a gift. Allowing us to see life and love through her lens inspired us all. We learned much from Kristie. She taught us compassion, tolerance, respect and love for everyone.

Kristie was the best big sister to Kaitlyn, always looking out for her but of course teasing her accordingly! Kaitlyn was her built-in bestie. She was so proud of her and loved having her close to her in Charlotte. Kristie and Kaitlyn often asked mom and dad to send money to pay for a “sister dinner” but really just wanted them to cover the bar tab 😉

Kristie was always a giver, even in death through organ donation. She gave the gift of life to four recipients, two of which received a tender heart full of love and strong lungs that breathe the air of freedom and adventure. She also gave the gift of medical research which will help countless others. She will continue to give us a reminder every day to live life well, be kind to others and never let fear keep us from following our dreams. #livelikekristie

Kristie loved her family so much. She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Jess and Eula Crowder; her aunt, Linda Carroll; her uncle, David Combs; her adopted grandparents, James and John Huffman; and her fur baby, Cosmo.

Survivors include her parents, William Gordon “Buddy” Crowder and Pamela Bivens Crowder, both of Morganton; her little sister Kaitlyn Crowder of Charlotte, her maternal grandparents, Ken and Helen Bivens; her Aunt, Sheila Ward and husband Dennis; her Aunt, Denise Rose and husband Jeffrey; her Aunt, Kimberly Smith and husband Mark; her Aunt, Jennifer Wood and husband Tom; her uncle Freddie Carroll and wife Katrina. She is also survived by 8 cousins, Dana Bradshaw and husband Ben, Michael Combs and wife Casey, Corey Carroll and wife Trisha, Kayla Carroll, Mary Carroll, Sean Smith, Rachel Wood, Abigail Wood, Katrina S DeProfio and Natalie Rose; 11 second cousins: Alexis (and wife Nina), Callie, Pippa, Parker, Eleanor, Atlas, Adeline, Emily, Samuel, Valentina and Alexandria; Lastly, her faithful canine companion, Lorelai and feline companions, Bella and Sebastian.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 P.M. Saturday January 14, 2023 in the Chapel of Heritage Funeral Home in Valdese, with Rev. Jamie Torres and Rev. Van Buchanan officiating.

The family will receive friends Saturday from 1:00-3:00 P.M. at Heritage Funeral Service in Valdese.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Historic North Charlotte Neighborhood Association (bit.ly/3CChYSs), Carolina Women in Tech (carolinawomenintech.org) or Kristie Crowder Memorial Fund at Patton High School, Morganton NC (checks payable to Patton High School, memo subject: Kristie Crowder Memorial Fund)

An online guest book and obituary is available at www.heritagefuneralservices.com.

Heritage Funeral Service & Crematory of Valdese is serving the family.