March 18, 2026 By Darcy Fargo “From the moment I met him, (Father Theodore A. ‘Ted’ Crosby) would talk to me like he had known me my entire life,” said Devin Gagnon, a parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church in West Chazy, where Father Crosby served as pastor. “Father Ted cared so much about the well-being of me and everyone else he spoke to and would take the time to give amazing advice like a true spiritual father when I needed it. Father Ted was always a joy to be around, and I would always walk away from speaking to him feeling uplifted and cared for.” Father Crosby died unexpectedly March 10 in West Chazy. He was 55. His obituary is included below. Gagnon noted that Father Crosby was instrumental in his conversion to Catholicism. “In April 2024 I went to Saint Joseph’s Church in West Chazy for the first time, and after Mass I had the privilege of meeting Father Ted,” Gagnon said. “He was so welcoming and thrilled that I was interested in Catholicism. Father Ted had mentioned numerous topics including the seven sacraments, the early Church fathers, their writings, and the importance of the Eucharist. This information given by Father Ted put a fire in my heart to learn more about the Catholic faith and Church history. A year later, I was baptized during the Easter Vigil of 2025 by the grace of God. Father Ted has left a major impact on my spiritual journey, and I could never thank him enough.” Gagnon said Father Crosby combined love, humor and a breadth of knowledge of the faith to bring others closer to the Lord. “Father Ted would make a room light up with how kind and loving he was,” Gagnon said. “Father Ted also had a sense of humor like no other. He would always manage to slip in a well-crafted joke in a homily that would get the crowd laughing. This combined with his wisdom and deep understanding of the Catholic faith made him such a versatile person to be around. One minute you’re learning about the history of the church, the next minute you’re cracking up. He truly was a gift to our town and diocese.” Father Scott R. Seymour, pastor of St. André Bessette Parish in Malone and a classmate of Father Crosby’s at Wadhams Hall and Christ the King seminaries, described Father Crosby’s preaching style as “reminiscent of Archbishop Fulton Sheen.” “He never had anything in front of him,” Father Seymour recalled. “His gestures and mannerisms were very much like Fulton Sheen’s, and he had a great sense of humor and could make things come alive. I called it preaching/teaching. He’d give a beautiful message, but it would also be a teaching moment.” Father Seymour said Father Crosby was a good friend despite his reserved nature. “He tended to be a little shy with those he didn’t know,” added Father Seymour. “Once he knew you, though, he was the life of the party. He had a sense of humor that could knock you over! He would keep us laughing all the time, but you had to get him to that moment. “Even if you didn’t see him or hear from him for weeks or months, when you reconnected with (Father Crosby), you just picked up where you left off. He loved to reminisce about the days in seminary and all the trips we went on. He didn’t like crowds, though. It just wasn’t him. He came to my 25th anniversary celebration, but he came only to the Mass. He skipped the reception. That just wasn’t him. But he never lost touch. He was a good friend. No matter when you needed him, he would always be there.” Father Crosby was known for his love of the Blessed Mother. “He referred to the Blessed Mother as ‘mama Mary,’” Father Seymour said. “He would remind us that mom will never leave you alone, and mom will never let you down. Her son, Jesus, gave her to us.” “If someone on this earth had a devotion to The Blessed Virgin Mary, it was Father Ted,” Gagnon agreed. “He always would join our prayers to Hers, and before every Mass, you could count on him taking a gaze at the statue of Our Lady. He would frequently ask us to pray a rosary every day and to strengthen our devotion to Jesus’ Blessed Mother. He has said the quote many times ‘It is through Mary that Jesus came to us, and it is through Mary we are led to Jesus, Mary always leads us to her son.’” While his love of Mary was always evident, he had a couple other loves, Father Seymour noted. “If you walked into his house, you could generally know three things he was passionate about,” the priest said. “One was clearly the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was everywhere – statues, rosaries, pictures. He just loved her. His second passion was the Civil War and that era. He had lots of representations of Mary, but he also had a larger-than-life portrait of Abraham Lincoln. When he went on vacations, he often spent them on the battlefields in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. His third love was the music of Hank Williams – senior not junior. That was his taste. “He also had a great love of animals, especially his dog, Molly.” Father Crosby was also known for his care for the dead. “Father Ted also was an advocate for the poor souls in purgatory,” Gagnon said. “He truly had a grasp on the importance of prayers for them and would frequently give penances asking to pray Hail Marys for their poor souls.” Gagnon said the beloved priest encouraged the faithful to embrace signs of their faith. “Father Ted on numerous occasions told his congregation, ‘Every Catholic home should have a crucifix in it, even every room if you can. It reminds us what God has done for us, because He loves us,’” Gagnon recalled. Father Seymour said his friend and classmate loved being a priest. “(Father Crosby) loved his ministry. He loved Church work,” Father Seymour said. “He loved offering the gift of God’s forgiveness and mercy and helping people find new hope in their lives.” Gagnon indicated he had found such hope. “Although we mourn the passing of Father Ted who touched our hearts, we should have hope and confidence he is with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, whom he faithfully served with his life, and with the Blessed Virgin Mary whom he loved so much,” he said. Father Seymour said Father Crosby’s impact will carry on long after the priest’s passing. “In his own quiet way, he touched a lot of lives,” Father Seymour said. “People loved him because he was genuine and authentic, and his preaching touched their hearts and lives in profound ways.”
Memorial Mass will be March 27 A Memorial Mass for Father Theodore A. Crosby will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Church in West Chazy at 11a.m. on Friday, March 27. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated follow in his hometown, Phelps, New York. Father Crosby died March 10, 2026, in West Chazy. He was 55. Born March 12, 1970, in Clifton Springs, he was the son of Theodore M. and Margaret A. (Maslyn) Crosby. He was baptized at St. Francis Church in Phelps on March 29, 1970. He grew up in the Phelps area and remained connected to his family throughout his life. Father Crosby graduated from St. John Fisher College in Rochester in 1992. He spent a year discerning with the Redemptorists as a postulant while studying at St. John’s University from 1994 to 1995. He later attended Wadhams Hall Seminary-College for Pre-Theology followed by Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, where he earned a Master of Divinity in 2000. He was ordained to the priesthood on August 12, 2000, by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. Following ordination, Father Crosby served as parochial vicar at Holy Family Church in Watertown from 2000 to 2004, and then at St Peter’s Church in Lowville, St. Hedwig’s Church in Houseville, St. Thomas Church in Greig, and St. Mary’s Church in Glenfield. In 2006 he began ministry in Malone, serving across St. Joseph’s, St. Helen’s, Notre Dame, and St. John Bosco parishes. In 2007, he became administrator and later pastor of St. Michael’s Church in Standish and St. Bernard’s Church in Lyon Mountain. He also provided sacramental ministry as a volunteer chaplain at the Lyon Mountain Correctional Facility. Beginning in 2010, he also served as administrator and later pastor of St. Edmund’s in Ellenburg Center. In 2016, he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in West Chazy and Sacred Heart Church in Chazy, where he ministered faithfully until his death. He was predeceased by his parents, and he is survived by his sister, Tammy Crosby. Father Crosby’s priestly life was marked by love for the Eucharist, the Mass and Mary, the Mother of God. He once advised, “Mary told the angel at the Annunciation, ‘Be it done unto me according to your word.’ God was able to entrust such a great vocation to Mary because she never let herself get in God’s way.” He tried hard not to let himself get in God’s way, embracing a life of steadiness, humility, curiosity and simplicity. He had a lifelong love of history, especially Civil War and Lincoln-era history. Parishioners across his assignments will remember his generosity, his engaging homilies and his pastoral care. |
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