William Cruver

Bishop William O. Cruver of Los Angeles, California, was promoted to Glory on Saturday, April 29, 2017. “Pastor Bill,” as he was affectionately known, spent the majority of his years in Los Angeles as the Bishop/Senior Pastor of the Los Angeles branch of the Pillar of Fire Church. He and his sweetheart of sixty-four years, Elizabeth Summers Cruver, faithfully served Jesus Christ and His church. Pastor Bill was born on October 15, 1922 in Carteret. He grew up attending the Pillar of Fire Church in Zarephath, as his boyhood church. Very early on in his life he was called by God to enter the ministry. He was ordained and sent to various global locations including, Westminster, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; London, England (where he married his schoolhood sweetheart); and finally Los Angeles, where he stayed for a while (sixty-four years!). There he served as Senior Pastor and Superintendent of Sycamore Grove School, the Christian school started by the Pillar of Fire Church. While in Los Angeles, Bill served in many community and religious organizations, including Kiwanis and the Association of Christian Schools International. He always had a smile for everyone and as he was fond of saying, “Since Jesus loves me, I try to pass it on to others.” Bill is survived by his son, Ray Cruver; his daughters, Ruth Crawford and her husband Scott, and their children Emily, Jamie, Matthew, and Matthews wife Katie, and their son Landon; Denise Simpson, her husband Harvey, and their children,Victoria and Noelle. Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Saturday, May 6, at the Life Center, Zarephath. Interment will be at Pillar of Fire Cemetery, Zarephath. Friends will be received at the Life Center from 1:00 P.M. until the service time at 2:00.