Laird Buchanan Craig

1950 - 2022

Laird Buchanan Craig
Laird Buchanan Craig (born August 26, 1950 in Oakland California) died of stomach cancer at home in Lafayette, California while surrounded with love on March 7, 2022. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and cherished friend and relative to many. His powerful wisdom and deep compassion will be forever missed.
Laird, an Eagle Scout and National Merit scholar, graduated from Acalanes High School in 1968. He then studied history at Claremont McKenna College and UC Berkeley. He married his former wife Kristin Meub in 1972 and with her had three children, Bonnie, Mary, and Katrin. Laird married his second wife, Ella Wolfe, in 2008 and together they had two much-loved dogs, Bozzie and Ginger. A carpenter, a contractor, a foreman and above all a creative leader in the construction industry, he built everything from the LEED certified SF State Mashouf Wellness Center to the Amtrak station in Martinez to most recently a playhouse for his grandchildren at Christmas.
A fierce intellectual who cared deeply about the environment, Laird was a friend to all walks of life, a believer in the sacred found in nature and a follower of a spiritual path that transcended attachment to social status and materialism. He gifted all who knew him with a faith in the soul and the depth of humanity. He also was an incredible athlete who found joy snowboarding throughout the Sierras and slalom waterskiing every summer on the Delta.
He will be forever in our hearts. He is survived by his wife, his three daughters and their partners, five grandchildren, his siblings Christie, Gavin and Ian Craig, and numerous friends and relations. He was predeceased by his parents Sheila Prentice Craig and E.G. Craig as well as his four Scottish grandparents.
A Celebration of Life/Memorial will be held at St. Anselm's Episcopal Church on April 8th at 1pm in Lafayette. We all know that the spirit of Laird will be found anywhere in nature, but in particular near Kirkwood in the Sierra Nevadas. Thank you, Laird/Dad/Great-Dad for being a bonafide builder of not just houses but of humanity. The world was blessed by your presence.