R. Craig HIndley Obituary

R. Craig HIndley attended Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, PA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about R. Craig Hindley.

Graduation Year	Class of 1968
Date of Passing	Oct 18, 2015
About	Craig passed away in October, 2015, after a courageous 11 year journey with a rare illness similar to ALS. He remained at home the whole time, cared for by his wife, Carol. HIs mind was still sharp until the very end, and he never lost that huge smile and twinkle in his eyes. Craig earned his B.A. and M.A. from Penn State, in Speech Communication. He met his wife, Carol, while they were both grad students. They moved to Portland, Oregon after graduation. Craig decided to pursue a career in law, and attended the Northwestern College of Law at Lewis and Clark. He and Carol rented a small farm out in the country, and did the whole "back to the land" thing for 6 years. Goats, chickens, rabbits, huge organic garden, cutting their own firewood to keep warm. Craig went into private practice after graduation, and Carol continued her career of teaching art at a local middle school. They enjoyed camping and hiking all over the Northwest - at the coast, and high up in the Cascades. In 1979, they bought a little house in the suburbs, and Kristin was born in 1981, followed by Laura in 1984, who have both gone on to be teachers. The family continued the tradition of exploring the incredible outdoor beauty available to us. We did make a pilgrimage back to Yardley and Beach Haven every other summer, until his Mom passed in 2003. The photo attached was our last day on the beach in front of their house after the sale. Craig became interested in serious mountain climbing in the 90's. He did several climbs ( Mt. Hood, Mt. Shasta, and South Sister) with his brother Rick (who had moved to San Francisco area). Then he joined the local Portland climbing club, The Mazamas, and did many more climbs with them. Craig was very active in the local community, and quickly rose to leadership positions, which should come as no surprise to his high school friends! He joined the local Rotary Club, became a deacon and head usher for our church, and was active in the local community planning organization. When some foot surgery made mountain climbing no longer feasible, Craig finally bought the little sailboat of his dreams - a Ranger 20 named "Stardust" - and joined a club that raced regularly on the Columbia River. He loved that so much! His illness announced it's presence the following winter, but he continued to race for another 4 years, with some help from his crew, the club, and family. It became necessary to move to a one level home as Craig's illness progressed. We found a lovely 'over 55' community nearby, and bought the perfect home for his needs on the 3rd fairway. We did a number of modifications to make it ADA friendly. We quickly became integrated into the community, Craig joined several committees, and we were overwhelmed with the kindness and welcoming spirit of our new neighbors. Craig continued to practice Law from a home office, for the first 3 years we were here. We were also blessed by the arrival of 2 darling granddaughters who arrived during this time. They live close enough that we were able to see them on a regular basis. I hope you all have a good reunion. Craig would have loved to join you! He definitely will be there in spirit. Dance it up, and remember The Fauves !! Carol Hindley