Paul Crosbie passed away Sunday, December 1, 2024 at his home near Belgrade, Montana. He was born January 18, 1948 in Walla Walla, Washington to Keith and Joan Crosbie.
When he was 14, the family moved to Peru where Paul's dad was a Fulbright teacher, and the children attended school there. Paul also enjoyed trips to Jamaica, where his father was born, to visit family there. The family moved to Helena where Paul graduated from Helena High School in 1965. He attended the University of Montana where he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. He graduated with a B.A. in Spanish and French in 1969.
Paul taught French and Spanish at the high school in Lewistown, Montana. It was there that he met another teacher, Cynthia Skinner. They were married December 27, 1971 in St. John's, Antigua where they taught school with the U.S. Peace Corps. They had a variety of experiences over the next decades. Paul worked for Braniff airlines in Kansas City and Frontier airlines in Manhattan, Kansas. Their daughter Sarah was born in 1974.
In 1978 Paul accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and soon after that, they started working in full-time Christian ministry, beginning at Ladder Creek Christian Youth Ranch in Scott City, Kansas. Then their church asked them to help start Scott County Christian Academy where Paul became the principal and head teacher. Two years later they attended Bible school in Oklahoma, and then became members of Wycliffe Bible Translators. To prepare for the mission field, they did graduate training with Summer Institute of Linguistics at University of Washington and University of Texas.
In 1984, the Crosbies moved to St. Lucia in the West Indies where they lived for the next 17 years. They were part of the literacy and translation team which produced the St. Lucian French Kwéyòl New Testament, a bilingual dictionary, and literacy materials.
In 2001, they moved to Belize where they led the team which translated the Belize Kriol New Testament, and did literacy work and music recordings in the Kriol language. Paul was editor in chief of the Belize Kriol Dictionary,
In 2010, due to Paul’s deteriorating health, they returned to Montana where they lived on the Skinner family ranch at Dry Creek. They continued to work via Internet with their Belize translation team and as academic editors with Wycliffe Bible Translators. The second edition of the Belize dictionary went to press just this week. They were members of Dry Creek Bible Church and served in various volunteer capacities there.
Paul loved the Lord, he loved the Word, he loved language and cross-cultural work; and he loved people.
He is survived by his wife, Cynthia, daughter Sarah Millington Bronkey and grandsons Eli and Adam Millington of Redmond, OR, brother Mark Crosbie of Missoula, and sister Daphne Crosbie and her husband Jack Stults of Helena.
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, December 6, 2024, at 11 A.M. at Dry Creek Bible Church. Private family graveside will be held prior.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
Memorials can be made to the Dry Creek Bible Church Missions Program or to Wycliffe Bible Translators.
