Dean Crawford was a renaissance man, a thoughtful gentleman who was supportive and believed in service.

Crawford, an Olympic rowing gold medallist and former Swimming Canada president who died Dec. 6 at age 65, has been named Swimming Canada’s 2023 President’s Award winner.

“He was a renaissance man,” said his wife Belinda Macey. “He was very much a supporter and the type of man that wanted to make sure that things were done right and properly.

“He wasn’t the loudest guy. He was always in the background, although when called upon, he could stand up. He wasn’t a look-at-me kind of guy. He just quietly went about his business.”

Swimming Canada President Mary C. Lyne worked with Crawford during his eight years on the organization’s board of directors.

“He was a tremendously generous spirit,” said Lyne. “He held core values close to his heart and that’s how he presented himself.

“He was very thoughtful but he was very action oriented. He was a bright light in the room. He was fun, outgoing. He was gregarious but he was very inclusive and always very appropriate.”

Swimming Canada’s President’s Award is open to athletes, coaches, administrators, officials, sports leaders and builders (professionals and volunteers) who have made a significant and profound impact on swimming in Canada. Recipients must have participated in swimming, or contributed to the growth and development of swimming.

Lyne said Crawford had a profound impact on the sport of swimming, as both an athlete, and as a volunteer who worked at the club and provincial level.

“It was great to have Dean coming with not only the background of the sport of swimming, but also seeing it from the lens of a provincial section member and understanding what it meant to be at that place,” she said. “Being able to bring that and his learnings and teachings and information as we considered things on a national level.”

One of Crawford’s major contributions was being head of Swimming Canada’s Policy and Governance Committee and working to develop a new strategic plan.

Macey said Crawford was proud of his governance work.

“He always believed in sound governance, sound management,” she said. “He was always very pleased when he could bring structure to any organization.”

A native of Victoria, Crawford was a member of the Canadian eights rowing crew that edged out the favoured Americans for gold at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. Crawford was inducted, along with the rest of the winning crew, into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2003 and Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame in 2019.

He graduated from the University of Victoria with degrees in computer science and economics, and was named the 1985 Male Athlete of the Year.

A seasoned IT professional and certified Project Management Professional, Crawford joined Swimming Canada’s board in 2013. He was vice-president for six years, chair of the Policy and Governance Committee for seven years and served as president in 2021. Previously he served on the board of Swim BC from 2005-2013, including as president from 2007. Prior to that he was the first president of Pacific Coast Swimming, beginning in 2002.

Crawford became involved with swimming when he volunteered to be a timer when his daughter was 12 years old.

Macey said with his IT background and logical way of thinking, it was a natural progression for Crawford to move from volunteering, to helping to set up a club in Victoria, to becoming president of Swim BC to being Swimming Canada’s president.

“He reveled in all of it, wearing the white suit on the deck,” she said.

Crawford also had a sister with special needs which fueled his interest in Paralympic sport.

“He just believed in service for others,” said Macey. “He never did anything to get accolades. He never wanted the light to shine on him.

“It was very much giving to the community. One of his pieces was raising up others, helping others to aspire to be the best they can be.”

Many of the people Crawford worked with didn’t know he was an Olympic champion. He did enjoy taking the medal to schools and letting children touch and wear it.

“When you look at the medal and the ribbon on it, you can tell hundreds of little hands have touched it and worn it and been inspired,” she said.

Macey said her husband would have accepted the President’s Award with a quiet dignity.

“He would become very quiet and a tear would roll down,” she said. “He would be honoured and pleased but he would hold that joy inside himself.”