Crystal Yvonne McLaughlin, 53, died peacefully at her home Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019, after a valiant two-year war on cancer. Her spirit was indomitable and lives on. Born May 21, 1966, in Charlotte, NC, she was the daughter of Delores Farmer McLaughlin and the late Edward Joe McLaughlin. She was a 1984 graduate of West Charlotte High School. She earned her bachelor's degree at Erskine College in Due West, SC, and her graduate degree at the University of Georgia. She enjoyed a career in helping people, particularly students at the college level, working at the University of Richmond; Lander University; the Oxford College campus of Emory University; and Tri-County Technical College. She also worked for a time at the S.C. Department of Mental Health. Crystal was a colorful character with a passion for her students, her dog Jerry, Diet Coke, road trips with friends, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" - the restaurants and the TV program, quilting, and especially bargain shopping. She shopped for deals in every area of her life, including work. One of her proudest moments came when a former supervisor told her in an annual review how much money she saved her department by being so "delightfully frugal." She was also a flower bandit who kept scissors in her car so she could poach knock-out roses from local parking lots and wildflowers from the road rights-of-way. Crystal was a life-long learner, with a fantastic curiosity about the world around her. She was an avid reader. She was quizzical and liked to figure things out. She really enjoyed getting to know people, especially her students, and was very interested in students from other cultures and backgrounds from her own. She asked many questions and was deeply interested in the answers people would give her. She worked to develop an understanding of people and to help bring people together. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clemson. Crystal had a host of friends who rallied around her when she was sick, and dozens of her former students contacted her to let her know how much her influence had meant to them over the years. In addition to her mother, Delores, she is survived by her brother, Randy Wayne McLaughlin and beloved nephew Kameryn Joe McLaughlin, all of Oakland Park, FL; and her devoted rescue dog, Jerry McLaughlin and his godfather, David Huff of Winder, Ga. She is also survived by a host of cousins, friends, and loved ones. Crystal's family would like to thank the care team of Kisha Ramsey and Angels at Heart for their devoted service, as well as Oconee Hospice of the Foothills. Per Crystal's wishes no funeral service will take place. She asks that you take a moment to have a Diet Coke, or the drink of your choice, and think of her fondly.