Crystal Jean Tuel, age 64, of Mount Vernon passed away on Friday, March 24, 2023, at the Mt. Carmel East Hospital in Columbus. She was born on October 24, 1958, in Zanesville to Harvey and Patricia (Mendenhall) Owens.
Crystal was, in addition to being the love of her husband Mark’s life, a lover of life-and she especially expressed this through her relationships, activities, and interests. As many of you know, Crystal was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, sometimes called brittle bone disease. She suffered dozens of fractures and breaks throughout her lifetime, some very serious and protracted. Told by doctors that she would be wheelchair-bound by the age of 30, her parents, Red and Patty Owens, were determined to let her live as normal a life as possible and did not hold her back. She beat those odds for 64 years.
Crystal was a lover of family and friends and God. She was the primary caretaker of both parents in their later years and enjoyed close and impactful relationships with her nieces and nephews, both those of blood and bond. She was a loyal, nurturing wife, and together they made a pretty good team, she with her linguistic and mathematical skills, amazing sense of direction and navigational skills, and concrete-sequential thinking whereas her husband Mark was a little more focused on literature, writing and creative arts. When they traveled, she navigated, Mark drove. Crystal was a strong Christian believer who did not always take the more traditional approach to her religion.
Crystal was a lover of learning and teaching. She was educated by the Zanesville public school system, Mount Vernon Nazarene College, San Diego State University, and the Ohio State University where she earned a master’s degree in the instruction of foreign language. She taught Spanish for approximately forty years, most of her teaching in the public schools and five years at Mount Vernon Nazarene University where she also coached students studying to become teachers. While she enjoyed her time at MVNU, her first love was classroom teaching, so she finished her career by teaching Spanish at Mount Vernon High School where she also proudly served her colleagues as a negotiator for the teachers’ union, not an easy job. Partially because she and Mark did not have children of their own, she mentored hundreds of students over the years, some of whom they were proud to consider family. On more than one occasion, they were asked if they would be willing to serve as the legal guardians of some of the students in the event of the unexpected passing of their parents.
Crystal was a lover of maps, geography, and travel. In addition to extensive travel within the U.S. and Canada, Crystal and Mark enjoyed travels to Mexico, Puerto Rico, England and Europe, Jordan, Israel and Egypt, Senegal, Cuba, Panama, and Columbia. After extended travel became more difficult, she loved starting her mornings with geography puzzles and countries and capitals quizzes online.
Crystal is survived by her husband Mark Tuel; her mother Patricia Owens; her brother Randy (Judy) Owens; her niece Jamie (Ryan) Wright; her nephew F. Nate (Hope) Owens; her great nephews Forest Owens, Peter Owens, Toby Wright, Huckleberry Wright; her canine companions Chico and Nino; special friends Tara Scarazza, Victor Grimaldo, Melody Chesnut-Vasquez, Kenneth Swartz; and countless other special former students.
Crystal was preceded in death by her father Harvey Owens.
Friends may call on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the Snyder Funeral Home – Lasater Chapel, from 1-2pm. A celebration of life service will follow, beginning at 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to MDS Foundation at mdsfoundation.org or to OI Foundation at oif.org.
To send the family a condolence online visit: www.snyderfuneralhomes.com
The Snyder Funeral Home – Lasater Chapel is honored to serve the family of Crystal Jean Tuel.
Funeral home : Snyder Funeral Home – Lasater Chapel
