Former Corbin media magnate, Jim Lee Crawford, dies at age 78

An influential former Corbin newspaper publisher, editor, columnist and community volunteer died suddenly Monday at the age of 78, but his family and the friends that knew him best say his legacy will persist in the town he always called home.

James L. Crawford, called "Jim Lee" by everyone that knew him, passed away at Baptist Health Corbin in the early-morning hours Monday. He had been fighting an ongoing battle with a treatment-resistant form of Parkinson’s Disease for many years, among other medical complications.

Crawford was a media giant in Corbin during his working years. He served as Editor and Publisher of the Corbin Times-Tribune in the 1970s and 1980s. His family co-owned the paper with Bob "Springer" Hoskins before it was sold to the Thompson Newspaper Group.

While at the Times, he became a household name for penning an insightful, and often bracingly honest, sports column called "Pressbox Paragraphs."

"When I think back about what he did at the newspaper when I was a kid, I just thought it was very cool," said Crawford’s son, Johnny Crawford, who now serves as Assistant Principal at Corbin High School.

Crawford said he remembers working for his dad at the Times-Tribune as a reporter and a photographer, and followed in his father’s footsteps later when he got a job at the Winchester Sun as an adult.

"My dad could really, really put words together," Johnny Crawford said. "He won a lot of awards for his work. I think he was considered a person well respected throughout the state for his journalism … He was just a person who had a lot of foresight and vision."

Indeed Crawford was respected in Kentucky journalism circles. He served a stint as President of the Kentucky Press Association – a professional organization that represents the interests of nearly every printed publication in Kentucky. He was also treasurer of the National Newspaper Association.

Jim Lee Crawford himself followed in his father’s journalistic footsteps. John L. Crawford was also editor and publisher of The Times-Tribune.

Crawford and his family partnered with other interests in 1947 to start the WCTT radio station in Corbin. He was president of the station and was well known to listeners during a 15-year stint beginning in 1964 when he served as color commentator alongside Don Estep during the Kentucky boys’ Sweet Sixteen Basketball Tournament. The broadcasts of the games were carried on WCTT and on many stations across southeastern Kentucky as part of a regional broadcasting agreement.

Johnny Crawford said his dad was, perhaps, most revered for his volunteer efforts as a Little League football coach and coaching youth in basketball.

Crawford’s life-long friend, local businessman Dave Huff, said Crawford was a good coach who treated the area youth with respect and dignity when he coached.

"We coached together for 15 years and I can tell you he really took care of those kids. He cared about them," Huff said. "He was an awfully good person. He loved sports and he loved to win. He wanted the kids to win. He was a winner."

Huff said Crawford’s newspaper work brought justified acclaim and praise to Corbin athletes and coaches at a time when sports programs at Corbin High School were in their heyday.

The two attended the Summer Olympic Games together in Los Angeles in 1984, and were also regulars at University of Kentucky basketball games.

"He was a good friend. The Crawfords are a good family," Huff said. "He really loved sports and studied them hard. He really knew what he was talking about and I think people had respect for him because they knew that."

Crawford was a long time member of the Corbin Lions Club and served on the Corbin Recreation Board. He was a graduate of Corbin High School and the University of Kentucky where he was editor of the Kentucky Kernel. He was also a member and deacon at First Christian Church.

Crawford had spent the last 21 years in Lexington in retirement, but had moved back to Corbin just recently before his death.

On a personal level, Johnny Crawford said his father’s prestigious position in the community never overshadowed or detracted from his duties as a father.

"I think he was a father that was always there for me," he said. "He was a very loving man who kept me on the right track and told me when I did wrong and when I did right. He told me when I needed to get in gear."

"He touched the lives of a lot of kids while he was coaching. They are grown men now but they have been very kind to me, telling me they enjoyed playing for him the days that he coached. I just thought he was the best dad anyone could ever have."

Crawford is survived in death by his wife, Norma, son, Johnny, and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, at 2pm at First Christian Church, Corbin, with Dr. Wayne Bell and Rev. Ronnie Mitchell presiding.Ê Visitation will be from 12pm to 2pm Thursday at the church.Ê Burial will be at Pine Hill Cemetery.Ê Hart Funeral Home, Corbin, is in charge of services.

Pallbearers will be Curt Hart, Dave Huff, Ron Hungerbuhler, Steve Root, Joe Shelton and Tom Shelton. Memorial contributions are suggested to the First Christian Church, Corbin.