Craig was born in 1931 in Illinois, the only son of Gertrude and Arthur Monson. He graduated in 1954 with a degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois.
Craig met his beloved wife Nancy at her father’s dental office in Downers Grove, Illinois. It was love at first sight. This September would have been their 58th wedding anniversary.
Craig was blessed with five children; Cathleen Stenquist and her husband Scott, Michael Monson and his fiancé Marina, Sandra Monson, Diane Mingace and Steven Monson, 12 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren and a new little one due in July. Craig loved being a dad and grandfather teaching them valuable skills like picking weeds, investing, pulling coins out of your ears, buying real estate, 'righting' a sunfish sail boat and and his famous fishing chant: Fishy Fishy bite my hook. You be the king and I'll be the cook!".
He was at his happiest spending time outdoors as an expert water skier, sailor, fisherman and hunter. During his life he had many boats including the "Nan-sea", a
30 ft. Catalina which he loved to sail in Narragansett Bay, RI.
Craig was a dreamer, and from a very early age he would come up with ideas, set a goal and creatively figure out how to make it happen. He carried this entrepreneurial spirit throughout his life working at a variety of jobs such as his fathers bicycle shop fixing bikes and raising chickens in junior high. His natural sales ability led him to IBM where in 1958 he became the IBM salesman of the year winning a dream cruise to Europe which he and his future wife Nancy would enjoy as their honeymoon. In 1962, Craig joined AON Corporation in Chicago which was known as Combined Insurance Company of America as a sales trainee and quickly rose to the position of Regional VP working with many wonderful people at Hearthstone Plaza in Brookline, Mass. He later worked for Bose corporation as a VP of their Acoustic Wave Division finally retiring in Florida in 1991.
He was a generous and giving man, helping others through out his life with donations, making connections for people to help them reach their goals and in many small ways he kept to himself. Craig and Nancy were active in the pro-life movement together and became foster parents to several young teens. This experience inspired him to make the connections to start the Massachusetts chapter of the MSPCC (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children).
Craig and his wife Nancy loved to experience different places and moved many times during their marriage across the country, building several homes. They made many dear friends along the way. He would want to tell you all that he cherished each and every one of you.
A Mass for family and friends will be held at St Marks Catholic Church, Birmingham Alabama on Saturday June 18th at 12:00 noon followed by a private burial. In lieu of flowers, Craig’s family requests memorial contributions be made to the Myositis Association(http://www.myositis.org) to help find a cure for Inclusion Body Myositis.
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