KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Broderick Crawford, a staunch community activist for Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, died Sunday afternoon after a health challenge left him in a coma for nearly a year.
Crawford was the president and former executive director of NBC Community Development Corporation in KCK, managing and overseeing projects that strove for better health outcomes throughout the Wyandotte County community.
Jill Peltzer, the chair of the NBC Community Development board of directors, confirmed to KSHB 41 News that Crawford passed away.
After Crawford underwent an outpatient procedure on Dec. 1, 2021, he experienced health complications and fell into a coma, according to information from a closed Go Fund Me to help pay for his recovery.
Crawford dedicated his life "to assisting and improving the lives of those who are less fortunate," according to his NBC Community Development biography.
Crawford spent more than 30 years in the healthcare industry and served on a number of community and research boards impacting the Wyandotte County community, including the county's Health Equity Task Force.
He was among the first in KCK to sound the alarm about the disproportionate impact COVID-19 had on minority communities early during the pandemic.
Crawford, who also was a voice against violencein the community, helped organize a food pantry at New Bethel Church during the pandemic as well.
"We know he is already in the arms our eternal God," Alvino Crawford, Broderick's brother, said in a Facebook post. "Mere words can’t express our thanks for the immense volume of prayers and support that he and our family have received this last year."
