THOMAS GOODRICH CRAIG
Tom Craig died March 14, 2009, of complications following a heart attack he suffered several years ago.
Tom always found ways to relieve routine with adventure. He was my hero, and I his foil. Our lifelong friendship began early freshman year. Tom was best man at Suzie’s and my wedding in ’59, and since 1998, we had seen him and Ann in York on annual trips to Maine. “Boat’s in the water. Come see us.” he’d say.
Tom was loud and famously stubborn, spoke strong opinions, could argue rings around me, told great stories, served a mean rum collins, was invariably friendly, and pretty well knew what he and others should do and often said so. His many adventures and achievements were quintessential New England: sailing, engineering officer in naval destroyers, hiking the Knife Edge on Katahdin, canoeing the Allagash and winning navigator in Bermuda races.
As a student of American history, he saw his role as manager and president of several companies after Harvard Business School to make sure American industry stayed up and running. Tom was proudest of supplying wire and traps to lobstermen in Maine and Canada, the source of many stories.
Tom would have enjoyed the e-mails about him several of us have traded. Glen Dell recalled how Tom chose Barbara Martin to be Glen’s future wife. Tom and Chuck Davis ’58 shared naval careers and together avidly followed naval activity in the Mideast and Asia. Al Burt recounted how Tom recruited pledges for Phi Delt. Dave and Chuck recalled, with photos, a day on his sloop in Duxbury.
Remember Tom Craig. When you think of your own hero, someone like Tom will be there.
(with Glen Dell, Chuck Davis,
Al Burt, Bitsy Jeffers, and David Craig)