Creighton Andrew Hagopian

He was born January 21, 1956 in Poughkeepsie, NY, the second son of Harold and Elizabeth Hagopian. The family lived in many different places before settling down in Trumbull, CT in 1974. There, Creig became a volunteer with the Trumbull Center Fire Department and was a founding member of the Trumbull Emergency Medical Service. He attended Trumbull High School where he was a member of the football and ice hockey teams along with other extra-curricular clubs.

Following graduation in 1975, he enrolled at Norwalk (CT) Community College, earning his Fire Engineering Degree. He then enrolled at the University of Miami (FL), graduating with his Paramedic certification. While in Florida he became a certified SCUBA diver and worked with the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

He returned to Trumbull, working at different jobs and volunteering with both TEMS and TCFD. By the time he left TCFD, he had attained the rank of Captain. When his family was transferred to Raleigh, NC in 1984, he moved with them. There he became a member of what is now the Durham Highway Fire Station on Pinecrest Road. Not long after arriving in NC, Creig took a job with Xerox. That only lasted a year though, because he finally received the call he had been waiting for: a position was available in the Stratford (CT) Fire Department. He left NC and returned to CT to fulfill his dream of being a professional fire fighter.

Two years after taking the position with Stratford, he ran into an old girlfriend – almost literally. She stepped off the curb to cross the street right in front of his truck. He stopped, they talked, and as they say, the rest is history. They became inseparable, and in August of 1991 Creig and Sandi got married. They began their family immediately, having daughters Victoria and Bethany in 1992 and 1994 respectively, and son Matthew in 1996.

Creig worked for the Town of Stratford for twelve years before taking a disability retirement in 1999. He settled into the routine of being “Mr. Mom,” allowing Sandi to return to full-time work. He was a very able caregiver to his family and participated fully in their lives. He was a fixture at school, becoming a room Dad and chaperoning almost every class trip the kids took. He was always there to bring forgotten homework and lunches to school, and he took great joy in helping with class projects. He often remarked that “We got an A on that!” He was an honorary Girl Scout leader and was a Den leader and assistant Cub Master for Cub Scouts.

The family moved to NC in 2008, first to Chapel Hill and then most recently to Graham. A lesson he learned young and tried to teach his family was that home wasn’t a building or a town; home was where your family was. And wherever he was, that was home to all.

He was passionate about many things, including the Washington Redskins and New York Mets. He enjoyed animals (although he pretended he didn’t), playing golf, and reading books by Jack Higgins and Tom Clancy. He was a staunch supporter of the U.S. military and conservative politics. Creig passed his love of country and history on to his children. One of his favorite traditions was watching the movie “Gettysburg” every year in July. He loved celebrations, in particular birthdays, Halloween, and Christmas.

In addition to his wife of 21 years and his children, Creig is survived by his mother, Elizabeth Hagopian, of Raleigh, and his brothers Gregory (Betty) of Wilmington and Richard (Annette) of Raleigh. He will be sadly missed by his in-laws, George (Silke) Clough of Hermiston, OR and Sharie (Fred) Delaney of Waipahu, HI. He leaves behind many family members and friends who loved him dearly. He was predeceased by his in-laws, George and Ethel Clough, and by his father, Harold, who left us this past April.

The family will receive friends, on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at Mitchell Funeral Home, 7209 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC, from 10:00-11:00 am with the funeral service at 11:00 am, in the funeral home chapel. The graveside service will follow at Raleigh Memorial Park.

Condolences and fond memories can be shared at www.MitchellatRMP.com.