Charles Ostens Crawford was born in Bournemouth, the son of Gordon Crawford, an oil merchant and Margaret Ostens, a post office telegraphist before her marriage. Charles' father died when he was five years of age and he was mainly under the care of his aunt, his father's sister, Gladys Preston. He was educated at Dean Close School in Cheltenham and did his medical training at the London Hospital. He met his future wife, Jean Mary Smith, a social worker with the Citizens' Advice Bureau, in London while still a student. They married in 1941.

He graduated in 1942, and joined the Army as Medical Officer with the Field Transfusion Unit, taking part in the Normandy landings. He served in France and after the war as Physician Captain with the Royal Army Medical Corps in India in 1946. He was House Physician at Chase Farm Hospital in Middlesex in 1947, and in 1948, worked his way to New Zealand as ship's doctor. He settled in Napier joining Dr A C Biggs in general practice. His wife and their two daughters flew out shortly afterwards and a son was born at a later date.

Charles had always had a special interest in internal medicine and in 1954, he was appointed as Assistant Physician at Napier Hospital. He passed the examination for Membership of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1958. By then he had developed a special interest in neurology. He obtained a fellowship to study at Queen Square Hospital for Nervous Diseases where he spent a year in 1962. He continued to practise as general physician, as well as acting as consultant for neurologic cases in both Napier and Hastings Hospitals and running a private consulting practice in Napier. He was an excellent clinician making frequent contributions at local Clinical Meetings. He developed regular monthly Consultation Clinics at Napier Hospital for Visiting Neurosurgeons. He retired from hospital work in 1984, and subsequently continued consulting work for some years.

He loved the English language and the proper use of words, both spoken and written and with the latter in mind, at around the age of 40, he suddenly and deliberately developed a beautiful and individual calligraphy. His hobbies included carpentry, kite-making, yachting, fencing, reading, music and not only the English language, but languages in general. He attended Spanish classes well into his eighties.

Charles was tall and slim in stature, with a charming and friendly manner, and he made friends easily. He and Jean frequently entertained the junior hospital staff in their home and took an active interest in helping them shape their careers. They were a devoted couple. She worked as his receptionist throughout his practice. She pre-deceased him by seven years.

He continued to live on his own maintaining his house and garden until three months before his death, when he entered a nursing home.