Emily Sue's smile lit up a room and her laughter filled it. You were winning if you could make Emily laugh. She was brilliant and kind and wise beyond her years. While I've known the Crowder family since Emily was 11, my first time hanging out with her was after her appendix burst when she was 14.  I'll never forget Alisyn and Emily curled up in her hospital bed watching The Office when I showed up for visit. :)  From that first encounter while painting Emily's fingernails in her hospital room and hearing about her life, I new that I loved her. I had the privilege of being a youth advisor to Emily for a couple of years, and I cherish each and every interaction I had with her. We would frequently do lunches together, and I would learn all about the life of a teenager. Little does she know the impact all of those interactions had on me and how I've tried to raise my own children.

Emily was a dreamer, and she was driven and determined.  She was smarter than me, and I could do anything she put her mind to. I admired her wit, tenacity, sense of style and individuality.  She loved her family, animals, and little kids. My kids loved having her around because they thought she was so cool.

I love you, Emily Sue!  I can't wait to see you again one day and give you a big hug, see your smile, and hear your laugh!

All my love,

Elizabeth "Liz" Balena

Emily and I first connected in NYC in the fall of 2019. She enthusiastically reached out after we overlapped while skiing in Utah and asked me to grab dinner in the neighborhood. It was one of the easiest conversations I’ve ever had— not only because we realized we had a ton in common, but she brought such curiosity and enthusiasm to our chat that allowed it to flow seamlessly. I could tell she was so excited about her new chapter in NYC and was eager to take advantage of all the city had to offer. As a native New Yorker who had very much settled into my routine and social life at home, it was refreshing and inspiring to see someone come to the city eyes wide open. She quickly introduced me to other friends she’d already made through work, the gym, and more, and I was in awe at her ability to bring people together and insert herself effortlessly into new groups and settings.

We proceeded to spend lots of quality time together— be it long walks along the West Side Highway, cooking viral Tik Tok recipes in her apartment, seeing movies at the Alamo theater, Rangers Games, birthday parties, attending the US Open, and watching her spontaneously run a half marathon in Central Park. We even celebrated New Years Eve together in 2019, and she graciously flew across the country to attend my wedding last fall. One thing I can confidently say about Emily is that I could bring her into ANY social setting and she’d thrive. In a room filled with people she’d never met before, she’d easily make conversation, find out she had mutual friends with someone who was a stranger five minutes prior, and probably make plans to hang out with them in the coming weeks. I always will admire her ability to adapt to new environments and seize every single moment.

When she moved back to the Bay Area, we kept in touch and she’d regularly send me videos of Clayton and then Vivian. She ADORED them and had so much love for her entire family. I will miss her deeply but am committed to honoring her great legacy of welcoming and embracing new situations, being her true and authentic self, and prioritizing family. Her light lives on within each of us that had the pleasure of knowing her.