Dearest Juel, Joycelin and the entire Craig Family,
There are so many memories of my times with my best friend for 67 years that I thought this would be easy. Then I just went into his Tribute Page, to the photos again. As I got to the end of the page, I came to this one and I had to stop until I regained some semblance of composure . . .Most of the photos show Steve the way I remember him always, with that warm smile on his face. Even from High School days he almost always wore that contagious smile. Steve made me feel good about myself. When I was down, just knowing that this amazing guy liked me enough to want to hang around with me made that happen. He was that kind of guy, and I'd bet everyone who ever had the privilege of being in his company for any length of time felt like that, too.
We met in High School, when he came to me and said he knew I had a car and was wondering if I could tow his '32 Ford home for him. That was the first day of our long friendship. And the '32 Ford in all those photos is the same one I towed home for him that day! I'm so very happy that he managed to bring it to his vision of what he wanted it to be. Those last few projects toward completion were a struggle at times, but he did it. And knowing Steve as I did, I know that completing that project left him with a huge amount of peace. I know, it's just an old car. But it was way, way more than that for Steve. Maybe you have to be an old-school car person to get that?
I will always remember our times together at The Ranch in Willits. From my first visits some 60 years ago, sometimes when his lovely Mom and Dad would be there, too, and on through the years, sometimes visiting or going up with him to work on some project, I recall all those times as some of my most rewarding. We'd maintain the water system, or maybe trim trees, and then always spend the evenings in front of the wood-stove fire with a bit of good Bourbon and a lot of chat time. I felt honored that Steve wanted to spend that time with me and I cherished every moment of it.
One of my favorite photos is this selfie of the two of us at a vintage car museum near Sacramento some 10 or 12 years ago. It's in my shop.
That's how I'll always remember Steve. My Old Buddy. He is always near. Yesterday I used his old floor jack to install new shocks on my truck. There are reminders of My Old Buddy in my life almost daily.
He was my best friend.
Sincerely,
Skip Thomsen
The bond between the Steve Craig family and the Bob Mckoon family goes back over forty-plus years and was jump-started by their mothers on a warm summer’s day in the Willits Safeway! Sit back, relax, and let me fill you in on all of it. - May McKoon
Bob’s mother was a patient of Steve’s mother, Dr. Craig, when both families lived in the East Bay. The mothers lost touch with each other after the McKoons moved away to Redwood City. Many years later, the two mothers were surprised when they ran into each other in, of all places, that Safeway in Willits, CA!
Their conversation that day went something like this:
Mrs. M: So nice to see you again! What brings you to Willits?
Dr. C: So nice to see you, too. We have property outside of Willits.
Mrs. M: So do we!
Dr. C: How is your son doing? My son is now married. He married a Chinese girl.
Mrs. M: Mine is married and he, too, married a Chinese girl!
Dr. C: How very nice. My son and his wife live in El Cerrito.
Mrs. M: My son and his wife live in El Cerrito!
Dr. C: My son and his wife live on Richmond St.
Mrs. M: My son and his wife also live on Richmond St!
Subsequent to that “maternal” meeting, the mothers contacted their respective sons and found out the couples already knew each other through their memberships in the CCEA (Chinese Cultural and Educational Association) of El Cerrito. What’s more, the two families would spend, throughout the ensuing years, many special occasions, vacations, and holidays together, such as the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and many others whenever the opportunities arose. Today, the two families are trying to continue that tradition in spite of Covid and the loss of Steve.
Beside the above parallels in their lives, people who knew both Steve and Bob often commented that these two fellas had many other “similarities” in their lives. They both grew up in the East Bay, Steve in Berkeley and Bob in El Cerrito. They both grew up as post-Depression-era kids and each would save everything imaginable! If one bothered to looked through their “stuff,” one would find the same brand of tools, the same wheel barrows, the same kind of phonographs, the same Army blankets and cots, the same Coleman camping stoves, etc., etc., etc. They both loved astronomy and Lionel trains under the Christmas tree. Both never threw anything away for they always found a way to fix it. If they couldn’t, they knew someone who could!
As young men starting out in life, they both left the country and went abroad, Steve to Panama and Bob to India. Their individual experiences taught them many things about the world outside of California. Returning home, each gravitated to take the road less traveled and both married Chinese girls from foreign lands. They both learned very quickly about “international relations” early on in their marriages. They were both always curious about people, places, and things and life-long seekers of “whatever was out there.”
After such a long time together, there are so many wonderful memories the two families shared, too many to list here. These will always be treasured and held close to our hearts.
- Bob & May McKoon
“Steve had a great life with loving family and many friends. I was lucky to have met him if only for a short time. This is one of my favorite memories, Steve and I drove my 32 over the Golden Gate Bridge - a great memory for me. I snapped this shot of Steve admiring the view”
Dave Diacos, Australia
