Marilynn Crawford Flood

Marilynn C. Flood, age 89, died peacefully on Monday, September 8, 2025, at her home in Bethesda, MD. The former Marilynn D. Crawford, she was born on October 14, 1935, and grew up on Richland Lane, in the East End of Pittsburgh, PA. She was the daughter of the late James Wilson Crawford, an attorney, and the late Marian Bradley Crawford, a homemaker. Her marriage to Henry C. Flood, Jr., ended in divorce.

Marilynn attended The Ellis School in Pittsburgh, graduated from Chatham College with a BA in Music in 1957, and completed an MFA in Musicology from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). She worked for many years as a development professional, holding positions in foundation and corporate relations, annual giving, and membership development at The Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, Calvary Episcopal Church, Utica College of Syracuse University, Oberlin College, and The Brady Center to Prevent Handgun Violence.

A lifelong vocal and piano musician, Marilynn was a soprano, whose greatest joy was singing in both solo and choral performances. Before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1996, Marilynn had performed with the Interlochen choral groups and madrigal singers, Shadyside Presbyterian and Calvary Episcopal Church Choirs, and the Oberlin Chamber Singers. Marilynn’s musical opportunities flourished in Washington, D.C. as she studied under Rosa Lamoreaux, and sang joyfully with the St. Columba’s Church Choir, The Cathedral Choral Society, Columba Baroque, Rock Creek Chamber Players, and The Bethlehem Bach Consort. Most dear to Marilynn was her thirty-year affiliation with the Cantate Chamber Singers. In addition to being an early member of the group as a singer, Marilynn served as a member of the board, and grant writer, for many years. After retiring from singing, she never missed a Cantate performance.

Survivors include two children, Megan Flood Curran (Jim), of Washington, D.C., and Peter Flood (Carissa), of Pittsburgh, PA; one adored grandchild, Finn Curran, of Oberlin, OH; two brothers, James Wilson Crawford, Jr. (Ann), of Lancaster, PA, and Bradley Brooks Crawford, of Kauai, HI; two nephews; and three great-nieces.

Services will be held at 3 P.M. on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at St. Columba’s Church, 4201 Albemarle Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Friends will be received after services at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the Music Department at St. Columba’s Church, 4201 Albemarle Street, N.W., Washington, DC. 20016, or to Cantate, P.O. Box 11433, Takoma Park, MD, 20913, https://cantate.org/support-cantate/ (please identify “Marilynn C. Flood” in the honorarium line).