Crystal was born on July 21, 1947 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Crystal grew up in South Gate, CA near Watts. She often reminisced about her younger days, recounting tales like the time she swallowed some orange seeds and thought she was going to grow orange trees out of her ears after being teased about it.

Crystal went to Huntington Park High school. Crystal said her (only) favorite part about high school was eating the fresh pomegranates off the trees on Randolph Street, or stopping in and getting a pastrami sandwich while taking the long way home from school (or just playing hooky).

Crystal caused some ruckus in her younger years before serving in the Army for a short time. Crystal left the Army and traveled the United States, living and working in more than half of the states in the USA. Crystal settled down in Spokane where she worked for the City Street Department while attending Spokane Falls Community College where she earned her AA in Civil Engineering. Crystal then went to work for Spokane County as a "Transportation Planning Engineering Technician", a title which she loved to say and then watch people try to figure out what exactly it meant.

Crystal loved animals, but none more than her best friend Ruby, an Alaskan malamute-Husky mix. After Ruby's passing, Crystal always kept reminders of Ruby nearby, even in her last days.

Crystal is survived by her two sons, Ben and Chris. She was extremely proud of her sons. She would often corner anyone who would listen just for the chance to brag about her sons and their accomplishments in life. Chris and Ben have become accustomed to meeting strangers who seem to know more about them than they even know about themselves. Crystal wanted the world to know the high regard in which she held her sons. There was no doubt in anyone's mind how proud she was of the way she raised them and the men they grew to be.

After retiring, Crystal lived a simple life, spending time with her dogs, visiting her sons, and doing the things she enjoyed doing. Crystal had a lot of heart and loved Jesus. Crystal credited Jesus with allowing her to stay strong while battling cancer in conjunction with heart and lung issues. In her final days, Crystal's mobility became limited, and she spent her days simply enjoying the company of her canine companion Jingo.