Crystal Gail Lavender Kitchens entered the Kingdom of God on May 16, 2022, following a long illness. She and her husband, Phil were blessed to have 36 ½ years of a loving relationship.
Crystal was born in Jefferson County October 14, 1950. She grew up in the county, attending Minor High School, followed by Birmingham-Southern (B. S. Mathematics/Computer Science, Magna Cum Laude) and University of Alabama at Birmingham (M. S. Mathematics). She grew up in the Crumly Chapel United Methodist Church community and later became a long-time member of First United Methodist Church in Huntsville. At the latter, she especially loved its handbell choirs. Crystal worked for Baptist Medical Centers, Teledyne Brown Engineering, and Colsa as a programmer-analyst before taking retirement.
Crystal’s passion and ongoing mission in life was to preserve and to promote use of various craft-related skills in everyday life. Her dominant interest, when away from work, was being always enthusiastic with and devoted to activities involving an impressive set of traditional craft skills, and especially those centered on fabrics, yarn, and the use of yarn. The applications of those craft skills included sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting, spinning, weaving, operating and teaching the use of looms of various types, and creating new types of looms. She also enjoyed floorcloth making, dyeing, quilting, calligraphy, gourd decoration, woven basketmaking, designing Christmas gifts with these skills, and creation of innovative Christmas tree decorations.
She furthered her abilities in these areas by attending numerous continuing-education programs, including Osher Lifelong Learning at UAH and LearningQUEST. In these craft roles she was a teacher as well as a learner. She was a broad-based lover of the natural environment and marveled at prospering pansies and the “turning of tree foliage” at the onset of Fall. Crystal earned Master Gardener status. She also had special interest in music. Crystal gave more than her share of time to support various organizations as a volunteer. Included among these were Burritt on the Mountain, as Volunteer Coordinator and docent; Von Braun Astronomical Society, as membership secretary; Huntsville-Madison County Botanical Garden, as Master Gardener; Heritage Quilters; North Alabama Science Fair, providing certificate calligraphy for the award winners; Peinhardt Farm (Cullman), supporting its farm-life festivals, teaching by demonstrating dyeing; and Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HPL), teaching craft skills (how – to – make products ) via small seminars at HPL branches. Crystal additionally supported these and other charitable organizations by giving financially, including CASA, Habitat for Humanity, Huntsville Historical Society, Gourd Society, WLRH Public radio, and others.
She is survived by husband Philip H. Kitchens; her brothers, William Albert Lavender (Frances) of Gardendale and Cecil Wayne Lavender of Adamsville; and niece, Shannon Lavender Waddell.
Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at First United Methodist Church, 120 Greene St. SE, Huntsville, AL with a memorial service following. A reception will be held following the service.
Memorials can be made by flowers or contributions to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation Hospice Family Care, Huntsville, Madison County Botanical Garden, Heritage Quilters, or the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library.
