Legislators remember Idaho Senator Carl Crabtree's life of service

Officials are praising the work of former Idaho Sen. Carl Crabtree, who died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer.

“Sen. Crabtree will be missed but his service to the state of Idaho will live on. He loved Idaho and he served the state well,” said Sen. Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon.

Crabtree represented District 7 in the Idaho State Senate from 2016 to 2022. He served on the Senate Transportation and Senate Education Committees as well as the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee. He was known for his untiring advocacy and passion for a quality education for Idaho’s kids, a press release said.

Crabtree joined the Idaho Department of Education in 2023 and served most recently as the department's director of intergovernmental affairs.

In 2023, Lewis-Clark State College honored him with the President’s Medallion award for “significantly impacting the college by demonstrating high personal and professional standards, commitment to lifelong learning and the positive difference education makes to individuals, families and communities.” 

Crabtree, of Grangeville, was a rancher and served in several capacities with state and national cattle industry organizations. In 2007, he was named Beef Magazine’s Trailblazer of the Year. He was a former University of Idaho extension agent and oversaw 4-H programs in his county for nearly three decades.

"He will be missed, as he was a friend to many," the release said.