Craig Girard Larson

Craig Girard Larson of Sun Lakes, AZ, passed away peacefully on February, 4, 2016, with Shelby, his beloved wife of 56 years by his side. He is survived by Shelby, their two sons, Gregory (Piper) and Patrick, as well as his sister, Jacqueline (Al). He was preceded in death by his brother, Edward. Craig was born on August 2, 1937 to Evelyn McAvay and Clarence Larson in Meadville, PA and raised in Bemus Point, NY, where he graduated from Jamestown High School in 1955. In 1959, he married Shelby Jean Johnson, his college sweetheart, in the Watts Flats, NY Methodist Church. He attended Jamestown Community College then transferred to Ohio University where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1960. Throughout high school and college, he was a drummer in the Vikings' Drum & Bugle Corps which lead to a lifetime interest in drum and bugle corps performances. After college graduation, Craig joined the National Guard and trained in Fort Dix, NJ and Fort Knox, KY, where he completed his military adventure in 6 months. He soon accepted an engineering position with The Boeing Company and thereafter enjoyed a successful 34-year career with the company first in Seattle, WA then in New Orleans, LA for 3 years with the remainder in Seattle, WA. Early in his career, his engineering accomplishments included designing 2 small parts on the Saturn Rocket, which was launched from Cape Canaveral. He was always "amazed that the rocket succeeded in spite of his designs!" His later professional years were spent in Business and Human Resource management positions in Seattle. During his free time in Seattle, Craig could be found on a golf course, a tennis court, a fishing boat or coaching his sons' basketball teams and helping guide their soccer teams. He and Shelby attended every game and he was passionate about cheering on his sons' alma maters, UW Huskies and WSU Cougars. He especially enjoyed the waters of Puget Sound and spent hours fishing "hoping to catch the big one". He and Shelby enjoyed long boat trips into the waters of WA and Canada and also traveling around the U.S., Europe and Africa. After retiring in Sun Lakes, AZ in 1996, Craig spent hours playing golf and poker with the neighborhood men and enjoying his favorite pastimes of sleeping and eating Haagen Dazs ice cream bars.
Craig was a kind, sweet, sociable and entertaining man who loved his family and enjoyed the company of his many dear friends. In the end, he continued to be strong, humble, caring and possess his great sense of humor. Strawberry milkshakes may have replaced Manhattans but Sunday Night Family Dinners remained a constant until the end. The family plans to hold a celebration of his life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that gifts be made to the United Food Bank at 245 S. Nina Drive in Mesa, AZ 85210-8490 (tele. 480-926-4897 and www.unitedfoodbank.org) or to Banner Alzheimer's Institute at 901 E. Willetta St. in Phoenix, AZ 85006 (tele. 602-239-6900 and www.banneralz.org).