Visiting Thursday, April 17, 2025 from 2-5 & 7-9 PM at Williams Funeral Home, 5628 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10463

On Tuesday April 8, 2025, at approximately 2:21 PM, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Washington Heights, the world lost one of its most beautiful and strong-willed woman. Carmen Iris Diaz Crawford lost her very short battle to cancer.

Carmen was a Caribbean native born in Puerto Rico and raised in Cuban culture. Her childhood upbringing occurred as a resident in the Marble Hill projects where she made lifelong friends in the neighborhood.

Her life then led her to become a resident of Inwood Heights, where she remained for over 52 years raising her children, caring for her pets and numerous plants, with a special love for Inwood Hill Park, where she spent most of her time walking her dogs in the shadow of “C” rock across from Spuyten Duyvil.

Friends, family and neighbors knew Carmen to be very outspoken, opinionated, and definitely was not shy to debating anyone on any subject brought to the table. She had a flare for some of the wilder sides of life, marched to her own cadence, and lived her life on her terms with no regards.

Carmen had an extreme passion for music with a particular love of Doo Wop, Motown, and Old School Salsa to include music from artists Celia Cruz and El Grand Combo just to name a few.

In speaking with her recently prior to her passing, she stated that one of her greatest accomplishments was being able to be a mother and was overjoyed by being a grandmother who loved her grandkids very much and was feeling absolutely blessed to live long enough to see the birth of her great grandson. 

She will be remembered by her family as a daughter, a mother, grandmother, sister, an aunt. To others she will be remembered as a partner, motherly counselor, a neighbor and a dear friend.

Let us not have the last memory of a woman that fell seriously ill. Let’s remember the laughter, the music, the conversations and advice, love and full-natured life that she brought to all of us.

At the time of her passing, she was surrounded by her loving family, held in high regard as the matriarch of the family, and a Queen in her own rite, that she is, was and ever will be.

She is survived by her daughter Margarita Martin, son Robert Crawford, and her loving grandchildren and great grandchild. She lived life her way, and she transcended her way, on her terms, now resting in peace.

Love you mom, to always be spoken about, to never be forgotten.