Francis Dallas Craddock III

1938 - 2009

July 20, 1938 January 13, 2009 Francis (Frank) Dallas Craddock III, 70, of Lynchburg, Va., died January 13, 2009. Frank was born in Roanoke, Va., son of Francis Dallas Craddock Jr., and Virginia A. Craddock. Preceding him in death were two sisters, Virginia (Mrs. Richard Felding) and Loretta (Mrs. Eddie Gibson), and two brothers, Joseph and Vincent. He is survived by sisters, Catherine (Mrs. Harrison Barrett) and Mary (Mrs. James Rutherford); brothers, Michael and Thomas; and sisters in law, Jean, Debbie and Shirley Craddock. He also had many nieces, grandnieces, nephews, grandnephews, and he had a wide and devoted circle of friends in Virginia and around the country. Frank graduated from Roanoke Catholic High School and from the University of Virginia with a BA in Art. He taught art for one year and then returned to the University of Virginia for a masters degrees in English and Dramatics. He taught at Lane High School in Charlottesville during the 1960s, receiving awards for several state one-act play festivals. Later he taught at a US Army high school in Germany and at Seven Hills High School in Lynchburg, Va. His love for travel took him to Europe with high school students several summers in the 1960s. In the 1970s, he took up his new career in antiques, traveling to shows from New York to Georgia. He continued with antiques for the rest of his life, slowing down a little in the last few years. He had a keen eye for antiques, and he was out daily searching for rare specimens. Frank never lost sight of his civic responsibilities. He was a member of the Lynchburg Museum System's Advisory Board at Point of Honor. He was an officer of the volunteer organization, giving 1500 hours of service. He was also a member of the accessions committee at the Court House Museum, a member of the Maier Museum (Randolph Macon College) since 1997, and a docent receptionist and coordinator of receptionists at Westminster Canterbury Museum for eight years. His hobbies all centered around the arts. Poetry became his passion, especially in the last 15-20 years of his life. He was Vice President of the Western Region of the Poetry Society of Virginia and a member of the Piedmont Literary Society. His first book of poetry, published in 2000, was ABC Doggerel, followed by Day Avenue in 2005. Plans are underway to publish a sequel, Day Avenue Extended. His most recent book of poetry, Suffering Iraq, became his mark of excellence. Published in 2008, this poignant book was widely distributed and earned him critical acclaim. A memorial Mass will be prayed at St. Andrew's Catholic Church, 631 Jefferson St., Roanoke, Va., on Thursday, March 5, 2009, at 1 p.m., followed by a reception at the parish center. All are welcome for the mass and reception; interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, please give contributions to the American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org) or to Point of Honor (www.pointofhonor.org).