Deadline writing

By Lilly St. Angelo

Published in IndyStar on Sept. 25, 2021

Goodbyes are hard. Hannah Crutchfield, however, was very good at them.  

Her routine before parting ways with her father for the day was sacred and elaborate. She would demand "hug, kiss," blow him a kiss and then say her favorite phrase that her sister made up when they were younger.  

"Bye, I love you infinity times infinity," she would say, sometimes rushing out the door in her socks to repeat the whole routine after her father had stepped out.  

Her father, Jeremy Crutchfield, paused occasionally to regain his composure while sharing the routine with family and friends gathered for Hannah's funeral Saturday. Though sometimes he thought the ritual was "a bit much," he knew he had to soak in the love from his daughter because the moments were precious.

He didn't how precious, however.  

Crutchfield, 7, died Sept. 14 outside her school, George W. Julian School 57 in Irvington. While crossing the street with her mother, sister and a crossing guard, a chain reaction crash pushed vehicles into the intersection, and the crosswalk. Hannah, her mother, Cassandra, and the crossing guard were rushed to the hospital with serious injures. Cassandra Crutchfield and the crossing guard have since been released. Her sister was not injured.

"She was the embodiment of joy, the very picture of a carefree life," Rev. Melody Merida said, as she opened the memorial service that honored Crutchfield at Downey Avenue Christian Church.  

Crutchfield was remembered as confident, fearless, silly, sociable, loving, playful mischievous and a budding leader. She would put on fashion shows at home for her family and play Legos, dolls and Minecraft with her sister, Charlotte.

Hannah's preschool teacher Mindy Dant spoke for Charlotte at the memorial service. She said Charlotte misses her sister, who made her feel less alone and more safe. They would play stuffed animals and talk before falling asleep every night.  

"Charlotte's favorite things about her little sister was that Hannah would stick up for her and try to keep her out of trouble," Dant said.   

Tom Mann, who met the Crutchfield family at Downey Avenue Christian Church, said Hannah had an innate happiness and light.

"Those traits were incredible but I believe without a doubt they were mere reflections. They were reflections of the love she got from her family and that love is indestructible," Mann said. "It still exists, it cannot die. I see it in Charlotte's face, I see it in Cassandra's face, I see it Jeremy's face, I saw it in the face of a hundred people at the vigil on the school lawn and I feel it here right now." 

Hannah Crutchfield's goodbyes used to be an everyday part of life for Jeremy Crutchfield. Now they will give him peace.  

"As much as I will miss my Hannah for the rest of my life, I will always love knowing that our last words to each other were 'I love you infinity times infinity,'" Crutchfield said.