R. Craig Self, Jr.

WALLINGFORD - R. "Craig" Self, Jr., 77, passed away Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. He was the husband of Barbara Calza Self for 51 years, and an ever-present beacon of strength for his daughters, son-in-law and grandsons.

Craig, son of the late Robert "Bob" Craig Self Sr., and Janet Shirley Magee Self, was born in New Haven on July 9, 1940. Truly a farmer at heart, he grew up and built a home to raise his family on Fieldstone Farm in Wallingford. Later, as a part-time resident of Wilmington, Vt., he loved to drive the countryside taking photographs of fairs, livestock, flowers, cemeteries, farms and old barns. As a proud hometown boy, Craig possessed a wealth of local history. In an effort to share his value of farming, he served as a member of the Lyman Hall VoAg Building Committee, and dedicated his last few years to preserving Wallingford's farming history through research and publication. Appreciating the importance of civic involvement, he served as the chairman of Wallingford's Republican Town Committee and directed numerous political campaigns. Craig was a man of many interests and hobbies in addition to farming, photography, history and politics. He enjoyed duckpin bowling (Duckpin Challenge color commentator), golfing, country music, stamp collecting, and driving around the country visiting friends from all walks of life. He was also a dedicated member of breakfast clubs in both Connecticut and Vermont. He was a graduate of Lyman Hall class of 1958. Craig served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1960 to 1964 and also graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 1969. He had a lifelong career in sales, most recently retiring from D&D Filtration of Berlin.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Dante Jean Craig Bartolomeo (Douglas,) of Meriden and Elizabeth Mercedes Craig Self, of Norwalk; his grandsons, Riley Craig and Cameron Craig Bartolomeo; his sister, Shirley Self Lagerstrom; his nieces and nephews, Sandra Lagerstrom, Laurel Lagerstrom Suchecki, Michael Edward McGuire, and Gabriel Calza-Everett as well as several other nieces and nephews. He could be counted on to "come to our rescue" at a moment's notice. As a man who could strike up a conversation with anyone, he was known to value discussion and debate, and loved to "get one's goat." Having stayed in touch with almost every friend he ever made, he was described as intensely loyal and fiercely devoted by so many.

His family will receive relatives and friends at The Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 N. Main St. Ext., Wallingford on Saturday, Sept. 16, beginning at 12 p.m. The eulogy will be given at 2 p.m., with an opportunity for attendees to share memories immediately following. Gifts in Craig's memory may be made to the Wallingford Public Library, 200 N. Main St., Wallingford, CT 06492.

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