Joseph Cullen Crowley, a Naval Academy graduate and Marine, died May 25 from desmoplastic small round cell tumor — a rare and aggressive form of cancer that targets the abdomen — at his family’s home in Annapolis. He was 25.

Mr. Crowley was the son of Joseph and Kasey Crowley. He was born on Aug.19, 1999, in Queens, New York, and was the oldest of three children. Mr. Crowley earned a bachelor’s degree in science at the U.S. Naval Academy in 2022 before moving to Quantico, Virginia, to train for the Marine Corps. He retired as a first lieutenant in June 2024 and aspired to be a ground officer in the Marine Corps.

Mr. Crowley’s father, Joseph Crowley, represented New York’s 7th and 14th districts in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2019. His 20-year political career came to an end in 2019 after current U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated him in the Democratic primary. His mother, Kasey Crowley, worked as a registered nurse for 31 years before retiring in 2018.

When Mr. Crowley was about 2 years old, his family moved to the Washington, D.C. area to allow his father to spend more time with them while he worked in Washington. He graduated from Gonzaga College High School in Washington in 2017, and a few months later, enlisted in the Naval Academy Preparatory School.

Mr. Crowley knew he wanted to attend the academy since he was 12 years old, his father said.

“Who he was was the perfect embodiment of what it means to be selfless,” said Colin Brennan, Mr. Crowley’s academy roommate. “And I think that’s kind of a core value of the Marines, putting others before yourselves.”

Whether it was a “funny quip” or a “more heartfelt word of encouragement,” Mr. Crowley was very emotionally intelligent, Brennan said.

In his personal life, Mr. Crowley loved spending time outdoors. He hunted in Montana with his maternal grandfather. He also enjoyed time on the water, but most of all, he had an affinity for music. He listened to bands like The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and Avicii. He also played the guitar and sang Irish songs. His guitar travelled with him everywhere.

“Music just made him move,” Kasey Crowley said.

A two-day wake will take place between 4 and 8 p.m. June 4 and 5 at Murphy’s Funeral Home in Arlington, Virginia. His funeral will take place at 11 a.m. June 6 at Gonzaga College High School . All services are open to the public.

Mr. Crowley is survived by his father, Joseph Crowley; his mother, Kasey Crowley; his sister, Kenzie Crowley; and his brother, Liam Crowley.

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