It’s been a year of losses, maybe because we’re getting older, but my good friend Don (“Crusher”) Craigie, Colonel, USAF, Retired, wasn’t that old. He was in the Air Force Academy class of 1966, just two years ahead of my graduating from Clemson. Don passed away yesterday, July 22, 2020, after a long illness. June and I had tried to visit shortly after Father’s Day, but he was too sick to receive us. He fell shortly thereafter and was in one hospital or another until his earthly end came.
From left to right: daughter Paige, wife Kay, Bob , June, Don, son Todd.
Don came to Space Command in late 1984 as the Air Training Command representative. In 1986, he and I headed up the development of Undergraduate Space Training (which still lives after over 30 years). Here’s a snippet of the official history that I just discovered with Don and me in the same sentence:
The Training Development Office, referred to above, was in Building 845 at Peterson AFB. At the time, there was another unit there, headed by Lt Col Rhip Worrell. People referred to us as “Crusher, Ripper, and Dr. Bob.”
Don was one of the rare senior officers who could both get things done AND was a nice guy. Most are good at one or the other. Don was both mission-oriented and people-oriented. A strong believer, Don was active in his church until the end.
Ours was not only a professional relationship but a personal one. When he was first assigned to Colorado Springs, he came solo and spent many hours with our family. We have fond memories of his lying on the floor playing with our youngest son, David, who was only four at the time. He used to take our oldest son, Mark, hunting. Later, when he was transferred to Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, his son, Todd, who was five months from high school graduation, lived with us from January to May 1988. Todd still feels like one of ours. Don was at my combination 40th birthday and promotion to Lieutenant Colonel party, my 70th birthday party, and, as in the picture above, our 50th-anniversary party.
Our oldest son, Mark, sent this to Don’s son Todd:
He will remembered for the amazing person he was and for all the great times we had with him.
We loved him and have lost a member of our extended family. Rest in peace, my brother.
This is an account of David’s mighty men… (1 Chronicles 11.11, ESV)
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116.15, ESV)
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5.6, NKJV)
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4.13, NIV)
So sorry for your loss, Bob, and so true about losses as we are getting older. I appreciate your words of comfort. We still grieve, but not like others.
Here is a note from Carol Hellings, faithful blog reader, who sent it as an email. Carol and Ed Hellings are parents of Todd Hellings, Air Force Academy class of 1990. He attended pilot training at Vance AFB where Col Craigie was commander. She wrote:
We are sorry to hear of Col. Craigie’s passing knowing he has been one of your closest friends for so many years. We do remember and were so pleased when he and Kay attended Todd and Dawn’s wedding at Vance AFB and refer to the several pictures we have of the four of you. Our sincere condolences to his family and always grateful for his service.