Our History

In 1971 the then young Ralph and Orlyn Crawford built and started from scratch Crawford Mortuary on Tampa Blvd in the growth spurt of the northwest San Fernando Valley. Over the years the clientele grew to become the funeral home most often selected in the West Valley…which continues today. 

The Crawford’s retired in 2013 and sold to William Hawkins, founder of the Angeleno Mortuaries Group which Hawkins started in No Hollywood and expanded to Van Nuys and Reseda prior to owning Crawford’s. In 2022 Ralph Crawford passed away. 

In early 2021 Lorenzen Angeleno merged with Crawford. Lorenzen was founded by Don and Virginia Lorenzen in 1952 in Reseda during the huge growth of the mid and south west Valley. Both of them were very active in civic, religious and political activities and Don was elected to and was serving on the LA City Council when he suddenly died in 1980. Virginia, Don’s widow and her son Jon continued the enterprise until Virginia’s passing in January 2010. In 2011 Jon Lorenzen retired and sold the business to William Hawkins and it was renamed at that time “Lorenzen Angeleno”. 

William Hawkins remains actively engaged in Crawford Lorenzen today.