Craig Gerard Penders – June 2019
Craig Gerard was one of six children – fourth in the family line up so often expressed as Carl, Judy, Donna, Craig, Peggy, Sally. He loved being with his family, dozens of cousins and his longtime friends.
Craig was a teacher – not only as his profession but to all whom he encountered. He taught us all something in nearly every conversation. He loved music and live music most of all but not just any songs. The music he loved spoke to you. It spoke about life – its joys, trials, humor, love and so much more. Obscure stuff on alternative radio stations but mostly he discovered it on his own, and then he’d play it loud and used it to teach others and his students too. Craig was our music man and we all loved him for this gift – especially when we headed out to view a band with him.
Craig was a scholar with a wealth of knowledge about a vast array of topics and a political junky. His encyclopedia of information was shared in the classroom with his students as a Buffalo teacher, at the dinner table, at a bar, on the phone, in a text – whenever you needed to know what was going on out there and where the situation stemmed from, Craig could tell you.
He wrote a screenplay, created his own radio format that was nearly syndicated, developed a travel badminton game, and a mini hockey game his nephew loved to play.
A humorist, Craig had us laughing often with creative and often elaborate stories. He was a meat and potatoes guy, didn’t like pasta (absurd to us Italians) but if it was layered with meat that was perfect. He loved chili and won a cook off contest with his secret ‘heat’ ingredient.
Craig loved his family and traditions just they way they were. Whether it be recipes a certain way, celebrations held at the same location, the regular Friday fish fry tradition, and holidays, especially Christmas, always surrounded by family. He loved his nephews and nieces keeping track of all their activities and accomplishments. His influence was grand and he will be dearly missed.
