On June 21, we lost a giant with the passing of our longtime friend, Access to Democracy program sponsor, Dr. Charles Cruthfield III.
A medical giant and a pillar of the community, Dr. Crutchfield, maintained a practice in Eagan, and was unique in treating every patient individually, no matter how much time that required.
The son of a mother who was the first black graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School, and a physician father who delivered over 10,000 children during his medical career, Charles was taken from us too early at age 62 after a long battle with cancer.
Charles Crutchfield was always upbeat, jovial, and generous to all. He was one of the top dermatologists in the nation.
A pillar of the Minnesota Black Community, a Mayo educated physician and professor at two medical schools, he was also the team dermatologist to virtually all of Minnesota’s professional sports teams, and active in more civic and charitable organizations than one can mention.
Dr. Crutchfield published hundreds of articles on health related matters and sickle-cell anemia, was among those responsible for the definitive book on the history of the Black Community of Minnesota, and had the unique capacity to leave a person with a better feeling because of his upbeat personality.
Our hearts go out to his family; he will be forever in our memories, as one of life’s irreplaceable individuals.
