Charles Poe Craig

Dr. Charles (Chuck) Poe Craig, 79, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, August 18, 2014. He was born in Van Wert, Ohio and attended elementary school in Roseland, New Jersey. In 1949 the family moved to East Brady, PA for a year, and then to Avalon, PA a suburb of Pittsburgh. Dr. Craig graduated from Avalon High School in 1953, graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1957 and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pitt) in 1961, where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical fraternity and Sigma Nu social fraternity. He did an internship and residency in Internal Medicine, as well as a post doctorate fellowship in Microbiology at the University of Florida. In 1966 he was drafted into the Army during Vietnam and stationed at Fort Detrick, MD for three years where he provided medical care and research on emerging pathogens. He was discharged in 1969 with the rank of Major. He then returned to Pitt as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine under Dr. Jack Myers. After completion of his residency he became a faculty member of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases at Pitt. In 1972 Dr. Craig became one of the inaugural faculty members of the University of South Florida (USF) Medical School in Tampa. He was a Fellow of the Infection Disease Society of America and a Board Certified Member of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Craig was appointed the Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the James A. Haley VA Hospital and was the founding Chief of Infectious Diseases at USF. During his tenure at USF he initiated a multi hospital infection control program which evolved into the statewide and national discipline of infection prevention. In 1985 he moved to Philadelphia where he was named Chairman of Medicine at the Mount Sinai division of Albert Einstein Medical Center. He was a clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. In 1987 Dr. Craig moved to Ann Arbor to assume the role of Director of Infection Control at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital (SJMH). He was a member of the Medical Staff of SJMH until his death. He also held an appointment to the faculty of Wayne State Medical School in Detroit. Dr. Craig was an active member of the Association of Practitioners of Infection Control (APIC) having served as past President and lifelong member. He was active in the Residency teaching program at SJMH, named Teaching Faculty of the year on multiple occasions, and recently was honored by the Internal Medicine Teaching Program when a teaching award was named in his honor. To be bestowed on the Medical Resident demonstrating not only clinical proficiency but also compassionate care and value of the individual. Dr. Craig was a pioneer in the care and treatment of patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS Infection. He persevered in providing care to these individuals and providing a model of care that has resulted in improved quality of life. He had numerous professional publications in Infection Prevention and continued as an investigator in HIV/AIDS research. Dr. Craig will be sorely missed by all those whose lives and hearts he touched.

Charles had a lifelong love of music. He was in the Avalon High Sschool band and played baritone horn. He sang in the A cappella choir at Ohio Wesleyan University. In Pittsburgh he was a member of the Mendelsohn Choir, associated with the Pittsburgh Symphony. He has sung in church choirs since childhood, and participated in the Bass section at FUMC Ann Arbor for more than twenty years. He enjoyed wood working, crafting several grandfather clocks for his family, baseball bats for his grandsons, and many pieces for the family cabin in Ontario, Canada. He prized the family vacation home in Blind River, spending as much time there as possible every summer between snow melt and snow fall. There he was an avid fisherman, blueberry picker, sailor and could be found many an evening sitting on the dock listening to the call of the loons.

Charles is survived by his wife Pamela M. Craig and their two children: Norma Katherine Clark (Tony), Nicholas Charles Walter Craig and two grandchildren (Charles and Henry Clark), by his former wife Dolores O. Craig and their five children: Dr. Deborah Miller (Dr. Keith), Deanna Bailey (Paul), Janice Craig, Dr. Mary Beth Shea (Dr. Steven), Charles Poe Craig Jr. and five grandchildren (Bradley and Daniel Bailey, Craig and Leigh Miller, and Lisa DiNova) and two great grandchildren (Alessandra and Katarina DiNova) and by his sister Mary Lou Sykora (Fred).

The memorial will be held on Sunday, August 24th 2014 at First United Methodist Church at 1:00 pm. Reception to follow after the service in the social hall. Donations may be made in Charles’ name to HARC (HIV AIDS Resource Center) at 3075 Clark Road, Suite 203, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.