Greta Crawford

It’s not an accident that Greta Crawford gives a great first impression.

Her friendly smile and gentle nature welcome employees to the NASA Langley clinic in the morning. In the afternoon, she welcomes the newest members of the center’s family, the babies at the Langley Child Development Center (LCDC).

In the “panda room” of the LCDC, Crawford watched over the babies and said, “I love this room because we see them when they first start to notice things.”

Crawford has two sons, who attend Tabb High School in Yorktown. “It seems like just last week when I was taking them to preschool,” she said.

But she has come a long way from her boys' preschool days – literally.

They have lived in Japan, Germany, Georgia, Alabama, Alaska, Korea and Italy. Crawford’s husband, James, was stationed at Langley Air Force Base, which brought them here. He is retired.

The military life was nothing new to Crawford. Her father was in the Army. Her younger sister and oldest son were born in Japan.

Crawford misses living in Anchorage, Alaska, and she hopes to move back there. “I cried when we had to leave,” she said. “We had to leave wide open spaces and mountains and hiking for hours. We used to have one child in the stroller and one in a baby back pack, and we would hit the trail.”

Both of her sons enjoy music and the arts. As a family, they are involved in the “drama guild” at church. They participate in a play every four months.

Her youngest son, Joshua, wrote the next play in which her family will perform. “It’s about accepting people for who they really are,” Crawford said.

This is a lesson she and husband have emphasized to Joshua and their oldest son, Jordan.

Sons only 19 months apart are often mistaken for twins. And while they did have things in common -- similar looks, a creative side -- they were very much their own persons.

“Jordan and I love to try new foods together,” she said. Joshua and husband James leave the taste tasting to them. “But we all love the cold,” Crawford said.

That doesn’t stop them from visiting Florida and Texas, Crawford’s birthplace, for Christmas and holidays. “Everything really is bigger in Texas,” she said. Her parents still reside in San Antonio.

“I look forward to seeing my sons graduate from college and becoming productive citizens,” she said. “I want them to be free, to enjoy life and, above all, live by the Golden Rule.”

She believes their faith can help lead them to success and security. Crawford cites Romans 12:18, which has utmost importance in her own life: " In as much as possible, live peaceably with all men."

Crawford describes her workdays as “long, pleasant, and at times, challenging.” She really enjoys both of her jobs and the people she interacts with on a daily basis, but her favorite and most rewarding job starts when she arrives home.