Leslie Ellis, chair of Bean’s board of directors, said Crockett died of pneumonia early Thursday. She called the news of his sudden death a shock that will be felt community-wide.
"Jim truly believed in the mission of Bean's and he did everything within his power to make sure that the mission was fulfilled, said Ellis. "He was a very unique individual and they broke the mold when they made him in terms of caring and compassion.
Crockett served as the Executive Director for more than ten years and was one of the founding board members of the organization. He worked to expand Bean's Cafe's services, turning the soup kitchen into an overflow shelter at night, and implementing the program Children's Lunchbox, which feeds more than 1,200 kids in Anchorage and the Valley everyday. Crockett also worked alongside other non-profits, like the neighboring Brother Francis Shelter, a facility run by Catholic Social Services. Susan Bomalaski, Executive Director of CSS, said Crockett truly wanted to help people meet whatever goals they had in life.
"He was always looking for ways to help people, and wanted to break that cycle of homelessness," said Susan Bomalaski, Executive Director of CSS. "He'll really be missed. He had a great sense of humor and there's a hole there that's going to be difficult to fill."
For many years Crockett has been the public face of Bean’s, highly visible during the holidays as the café requested donations to organize Thanksgiving meals for those in need. He also had a hand in organizing some of the café’s most popular fundraisers including Empty Bowl Project meals, serving soup in bowls made by local artists.
In a 2011 interview on Bean’s opening its doors to the homeless alongside the Brother Francis Shelter when winter temperatures plunged, Crockett eloquently stated his take on the café’s mission.
"We're the last safety net," Crockett said. "We are in a position to help people, and help those that are in most in need -- we can't turn anybody away."
Contact Kortnie Horazdovsky and Chris Klint
