Ebbie Rowe Cruddas ’78

Ebbie Cruddas attended the University of Tennessee Chattanooga after GPS and earned a degree in business management. Upon graduation, she married Kenneth Royal, and the pair relocated to Virginia for United States Marine Corps basic training, Florida for flight school, and California for helicopter training. Jacksonville, North Carolina, was next on the docket, and she has called the city home ever since. After the death of her first husband and the birth of her son, she began working in employee benefits, an industry she still loves today, nearly 30 years later. She is currently a risk advisor with the SIA Group and enjoys life with her husband of 25 years, George Cruddas. In 2021, Ebbie was an Honor Roll Donor for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina, and in 2022, she earned the distinction of Advisory Board Member of the Year. In 2014, she became an independent stylist with CAbi, an LA-based clothing company created by women for women, and developed a true love for fashion. When she has time to spare, she enjoys returning to Chattanooga, traveling with friends, exercising, and spending time with her 10-year-old granddaughter, Carter.