Alex "Buddy" Belcher Crowder, III, born Oct. 27,1956 in San Antonio, Texas, passed away peacefully in his home on April 4, 2024.Graveside Service will be at 10:00 AM Friday, April 12, 2024, at Resthaven Cemetery, Lubbock, Texas under the direction of Bartley Funeral Home.  As a boy and teen growing up in Lubbock, "Buddy" enjoyed playing sports with friends at Wagner Park, fishing with his dad, running track and playing golf. Alex was a true student of the Lubbock educational system and attended Roscoe Wilson Elementary, J.T. Hutchinson, Jr. High, Lubbock High School, Class of 1975, and Texas Tech University, where he earned an undergrad and master's degree in Elementary Education.

Alex spent happy and rewarding years teaching 6th grade at Bean, Evans, and Honey Schools. He took pride in leading the school science teams and taking them to competitions. After he retired, Alex was delighted to hear former students greet him with "Hi, Mr. C.!", when he was out and about. Alex loved music, especially the Beatles, and during his younger years would dance to his favorites. He enjoyed having long discussions about history and loved cooking and gardening. One of his favorite pastimes was computer video gaming, in which he had a close group of gaming friends from around the world. He was one of the original participants in a popular on-line game and was recently invited to attend an Expo in Las Vegas to be recognized as a founding gamer.

Alex is predeceased by his father, Alex B. Crowder, Jr., and mother, Linnie Jo (Jennings) Crowder. He is survived by sisters, LaVinda Susan (Crowder) Vanaria and DeNisa Lynn (Crowder) Brown. He was "Uncle Buddy" to Janice (Parker) Krallman, Amber (Parker) Hale, Brett Sponzo, Stephanie Sponzo, Dustin Brown, and Hannah Brown; and was great-uncle to Shandy, Noble and Brooklyn. The family sends gratitude for the outpouring of love and support from friends and loved ones.