Elizabeth Craig

1956 - 2024

Elizabeth Yntema Craig
Elizabeth Yntema Craig, 67, of Wilton, CT, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, died January 9th, 2024 after a private battle with cancer.
Elizabeth was born on February 15th, 1956 in Washington, DC to Lois and Hessel Yntema. She grew up in McLean, VA, and spent her adolescence between Liberia, Switzerland, and Thailand. She attended Antioch College and obtained a BA from the New School. She married John Craig in 1986, and worked as a reference librarian at Merrill Lynch in New York City prior to having children and moving to Wilton in 1996.
Elizabeth was a talented athlete. A highly competitive swimmer in her youth and subsequent lifelong swimmer, she took up running later in life, running half-marathons into her sixties. She especially enjoyed anything that brought her outdoors, and took pleasure in every aspect of the natural world.
A longtime Wilton resident, Elizabeth dedicated much of her life to protecting the local environment. A master gardener and arborist, she had an extensive knowledge of plants and worked tirelessly sharing that knowledge on behalf of the local wetlands, waterways, and conservation land. She was a longtime board member of the Norwalk River Watershed Association, co-founder of the Pollinator Pathway, member of the Wilton Garden Club, a Wilton Tree Steward, and former chair and member of the Wilton Inland Wetlands Commission. She taught classes on native plantings at Norwalk Community College, and shared her love of the native New England landscape with everyone she encountered.
She is survived by her husband John, son Johnny, daughter Rebecca (Richard) Erali, grandson Richard, and brother Hessel (Patricia) Yntema. She is preceded in death by her parents and sister, Mary Yntema. She will be deeply missed.
In lieu of flowers, you are welcome to donate to the Norwalk River Watershed Association.