Kerry John Craig

Our family is profoundly sad to announce the recent passing of Kerry John Craig on November 29, 2023. Kerry was predeceased by his parents Cec and Aileen Craig, his brother Jim Craig and his sister Joan Kozak. He will be sadly missed by his brother Kevin (Mona) Craig of Campbell River and his sister Kathryn (Neil) Goldsmith of Nanaimo. In addition, he leaves behind his nephews: Dean, Jeff, Erik, Daniel, Tyrel, Jon, Matthew and his nieces: Tasia and Shirly as well as a large extended family and many dear friends.

Kerry was born in Nanaimo on Nov 1, 1955. Although he was faced with multiple challenges throughout his life, he met them all with grit and grace, a stubborn tenacity, a beautiful smile and a wicked sense of humour. He was well-loved by all who knew him and he knew so many, announcing proudly many times that “everybody knows me”. His outgoing personality and his positive outlook on life were infectious. Always fiercely independent, he travelled widely across Nanaimo, as far North as Woodgrove Mall and as far South as Southgate Mall and was well-known at many of the neighbourhood pubs in-between.

In his early years, he pedalled on adult tricycles, he then travelled for years on Regional Transit before finally graduating to a fully enclosed mobility scooter. He had an impeccable memory for faces, recognizing and welcoming everyone with a “Hi, how are you?” and a smile that could light up a room! He was a hard worker who loved going to work and felt proud that he was continuously employed part-time for almost 40 years, working at Home Depot in Nanaimo for over 23 years. He was an extraordinary problem-solver and worked hard at his job but he also thrived on the social interaction his employment brought to him.

Up until a few years ago, he volunteered for a variety of different activities from doing dishes or selling raffle tickets and poppies for the Mount Benson #256 Legion to serving on the executive of the Elks Club. He was always ready to play cards and games. He loved the poker games, meat draws and watching his beloved Vancouver Canucks play at various pubs around town and made many friends in the Windward, the Quarterway, the Landlubber, the Wellington and the Queens, among others. He also travelled outside Canada to Disneyland, Las Vegas, Reno and multiple trips to the casinos in Skagit Valley, Washington where he enjoyed sitting for hours playing Blackjack, enthusiastically cheering for everyone at the table when they had a Blackjack!

When Kerry was a toddler, his parents were encouraged to place him in an institution as he “would never have any quality of life and would definitely not live to be an adult”. Thankfully, they chose not to do that. He has had a very rich and rewarding life and has deeply touched many people in the process. Celebrating his 68th birthday a few short weeks ago, he almost certainly outlived the medical professionals who gave his parents such a dire prediction.

Sadly, the last couple of years have been very difficult for him. The pandemic, followed by his declining mobility meant that he was unable to stay connected with his favourite activities or his friends and acquaintances across the city. Although he received good care in Nanaimo Seniors Village and Kennedy House, he was heartbroken to lose his independence and his vast social network.

The family would like to thank all of you who have supported and befriended Kerry over his lifetime. We hope that you will join us in celebrating his incredible life and share some stories of your experiences with him. A celebration of his life will be held at the Nanaimo Yacht Club 400 Newcastle Ave., Nanaimo, B.C. on Sunday, January 14, 2024 at 1:00 pm.