Mr. Craig A. Lyle

Craig Alan Lyle, 57, of Poca, died Monday after a courageous battle with cancer. Craig has moved on to be with his beloved Savior, Jesus, whom he faithfully served for forty years. He moved from Poca �Almost Heaven� WV to Heaven. He was born to the late Stanley and Leione Lyle, November 29, 1950, in Warren, Pennsylvania. Craig graduated from Olean High School in Olean, NY in 1968 and went on to receive a BS in 1972 and a MS in 1974 in Civil Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Craig was a multi-sports athlete growing up in Olean, NY. His athletic ability earned him a football scholarship to Penn State. While at Penn State, Craig was an honorable mention All-American offensive tackle and a member of two undefeated Penn State football teams. Craig played at Penn State at a time when the Nittany Lions won the Orange Bowl in 1969 and 1970 and played a great Oklahoma team in the Sugar Bowl in 1972. Craig was proud to have played football at Penn State. He was beloved by the Penn State football family and was one of the leaders in campus ministry at Penn State. He also helped lead and developed football team Bible studies in the Nittany Lions football program. He and other teammates helped establish that tradition which continues to be strong on the Penn State campus today. Craig took this passion from Penn State to Poca where he was appropriately named �the Praying Dot.� Craig lived with a unique eternal perspective, always desiring to know Jesus better and to make Him known. This flowed through every area of his life including his 34 years as the Principal Engineer at Ackenheil Engineers and Geologists in Nitro, WV, as an active church member and elder of Perrow Church, and as a youth sports mentor, most recently at Poca High School. He is survived by Janet, his loving wife of thirty-four years; son David and Lisa Lyle of Charlotte, NC and their daughter Arden; son Seth and Cari Lyle of Hurricane, WV and children Ella and Luke; son Timothy and Laura Lyle of Prague, Czech Republic. Craig is also survived by his sister Susan Minor and husband Bob of Grove City, PA and sister Lorraine Langham and husband David of Mobile, AL. Craig will be remembered and greatly missed by his family, his church, the clients he faithfully served, the student athletes he mentored, the Penn State football family, and the Poca community. Craig requested that flowers be omitted and donations be made to any of the following: Open Arms Foundation (www.openarmsfoundation.com) 5345 Big Tyler Road, Cross Lanes, WV 25313, HospiceCare (www.hospicecarewv.org), 1143 Dunbar Avenue, Dunbar, WV 25064, The Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com), P.O. Box 443, Bartlesville, OK 74005. A gathering of family and friends will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at Poca High School. A celebration of Craig�s life is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21 at Perrow Presbyterian Church, 5345 Big Tyler Road, Cross Lanes, WV 25313 with teammate and friend Phil Laporta, Pastor Keith Cobb, and Pastor Jack Maxwell officiating. The committal will follow at Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens. Tyler Mountain Funeral Home, 5233 Rocky Fork Road, Cross Lanes, WV 25313 is in charge of arrangements.