CRAIG DRILL

DRILL--Craig Alexander. November 20, 1942 - June 22, 2024. Craig Alexander Drill was a giant of a man. His huge heart, grand stature, high intelligence, immense generosity, and colossal character came together to create an exceptional husband, father, grandfather, friend, mentor, jokester, businessman, brother, and an all-around appreciator of life. Craig was born in Chicago, IL in 1942 to Victor and Ruth Drill. His mother was a pediatric nurse, and his father was a noted scientist with a PhD from Princeton and an MD from Yale. Craig attended Glenbrook High School in Northbrook, IL, where he was student council president and a lead actor in school plays and musicals. He continued his education at Princeton University, where he majored in English and received his BA in 1964. He then joined the United States Navy, where he served as a Lieutenant from 1964 to 1967. Following his service, he earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1969. After completing his formal education, Craig became a top rated institutional salesman on Wall Street. He was employed at Burnham and Company from 1969 to 1973, and The First Boston Corporation from 1973 to 1987. Craig founded his own private hedge fund and venture capital group. He was the venerable captain of Craig Drill Capital from 1988 to 2024, where he became well-known for hosting lively roundtable discussions spanning a broad scope of subject matters at his office on Fifth Avenue. These luncheons were attended by leading investment managers, economists, businessmen, government officials, scientists, policy analysts, and friends from all walks of life. Craig was a member of the Board of Directors of Accure Acne, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Soltego, and ZALEA; Chairman of the Board of AVAVA; and President of UltraPower. He was a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and a co-inventor of three issued patents. Craig was an independent thinker often swimming against the tides of Wall Street. His interests were diverse and extended far beyond stocks and finance. He studied history, astronomy, physics, and literature. He had two libraries full of books, and could recite poetry from memory, captivating his audience with the wondrous words of Stanley Kunitz and the Roberts (Service and Frost). Craig was an active listener, intellectually acute, highly disciplined, and was led by a strong moral compass. He was witty and a lover of puns and playfulness. He was curious and kind, his broad arms perpetually outstretched in generosity, always eager to help. He lived by the words of William Penn, who his father often recited: "I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." Craig was so much to so many, and we'll find him wherever there is deep thought, care, cleverness, humbleness, strength, and integrity. We'll see him in the glacier lakes and trails of the Canadian Rockies, where he found solace every summer. We'll recognize him in the love that remains. Craig is survived by his wife, Kathy Drill; children Clifford Drill, Austin Drill, Josh Whitcraft, Reed Whitcraft, and Natalie Drill; daughters-in-law Michelle Drill and Christiana Whitcraft; grandchildren Bodhin, Nikolas, William, and Bridget; brothers Richard and Gary; nephew Lance; and the many friends and family who loved him.