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Funerals and Weddings

Funerals and Weddings
Part 1.

I don't think that I write often enough. Whenever I do I tend to cover a lot of different things. Sometime I write on real estate of course, sometimes politics or current events, sometimes humor, and sometimes its just ....whats going on in my world. This is definitely that latter of those...

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Funerals.

He was "Mr. Craig" to me. His son Myles and I have been friends since we were 13 years old. So being a parent of one of my friends he wasn't Edward Myles Craig, he was Mr. Craig. Of course when I saw Mrs Craig yesterday, she was Mrs. Craig. Even though Myles and I are 50 years old (my God where had the time gone) I would never dream of addressing her any other way.

I suppose we all have friends or family who were a part of America's "Greatest Generation" but Mr Craig was the one that I knew. Mr Craig was a man with a great work ethic, great sense of humor, great faith, and lived a full life of service to others.

The obituary says something to the effect that when he started with Sears he took any position available and worked his way up until he retired as an administrative VP. From knowing him when I was a teenager I tend to look at the story in reverse. He was a big executive with a nice office in regional headquarters. I remember as kids, Myles telling me that he started off mixing paint in the paint department and worked his way up. Think about that in today's world. For a lot of different reasons that just doesn't happen.

The obituary also makes a brief mention that he was a WWII veteran, shot down over Dresden Germany, and served as a POW in a German prison camp. He never showed any bitterness. As a matter of fact I only remember a big smile a twinkle in his eye. From what I understand he spoke very little of his POW experience. I do remember Myles telling me that his dad said that it was nothing like the TV show "Hogans Heroes". Like I said, he had a great sense of humor.

It began to rain as the 2 young Airmen began to fold the flag that was draped on the casket. There was another Airmen in the distance playing "Taps". He was getting rained on but he never moved. These young men were proud to honor a man they never met, but who symbolized everything that is great about this country that they serve.

I was also honored and humbled beyond belief when Myles asked me to be a pallbearer. What a privilege it was for me to be able to honor Mr Craig in that way.

Not to be to cliche' but here is my final thought:

If you were look up "True Southern Gentlemen" you would see a picture of Mr Craig.

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Ed Craig, Sears senior executive, dies at 86
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

October 13, 2009

Edward Myles Craig, longtime administrative assistant to Sears vice president of the South, died Sunday, October 11, in Atlanta.

A native of Rocky Mount, N.C., he joined the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in 1943 while attending Wake Forest College. After receiving his commission as a second lieutenant, he was designated as a co-pilot of a B-17 heavy bomber which was shot down on a mission to Dresden, Germany and became a prisoner of war.

When the war ended he continued his education at the University of North Carolina, then began his business career with Sears, Roebuck and Co. After several assignments he was transferred to Atlanta and in 1958 was promoted to personnel director of the 13 southern states. Several years later he was named administrative assistant to the Vice President-South. He retired in 1984 after 36 years with Sears.

Mr. Craig and his wife, the former Margaret Renegar Arnott, had two children, a daughter Connie and son Myles; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, where he served as an Elder, treasurer and several other capacities. Interment will follow in Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs, Ga.

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PART 2: WEDDINGS

Part 2 will come in a few days. My sister is getting married tomorrow. Family began arriving in town yesterday. My soon to be brother in law, Jeff, is a great guy and we are all thrilled to death. I'll have thoughts and photos after a brief recovery period :-).

Posted Friday Oct 16