Craig Robert Callen

Craig was born in Rockford, Illinois on 1/28/1929 to Philo L. and Josephine (Brohamer) Callen, second of three sons, Fred and Marshall.On March 16, 1934, Craig was running around a family bonfire with his brother Marshall when his clothes caught fire. Grandma Callen grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around Craig and rolled him on the ground to put the fire out. He suffered 3rd degree burns on 35% of his body. Craig spyears in the Chicago Billings Memorial hospital, being released on March 2, 1936. Craig suffered greatly. Thousands of pinch grafts were used to grow new skin over the seared portions of skin. He also underwent numerous major surgeries. The local Rockford Register, Column Left, had promised Craig if he learned how to walk again and got out of the hospital they would give him a shiny new bike with a horn on it!! In the spring of 1936 Craig received his bike.The Callens moved to Renton, WA. in 1943 to support the war effort. Philo pted a job at Pacific Car Foundry where his expertise as a core maker solved a problem Paccar was having making a key part for the M4A1 Sherman Tanks. Craig and younger brother, Marshall, attended Renton middle school and then Renton High for 1 year before moving to the Wallingford District with their parents to open the Callens Candy Store. Craig graduated from Lincoln HS in 1948. Older brother Fred, at this time, had owned a small Tool and Die Company in Detroit but later came to Renton to settle with the rest of the family.Craig attended the University of Washington for 3 years, but left to pt a position as a sales rep with Craggens, a drug manufacturing company. Craig married Mary Francis Madigan on June 15, 1951 and eventually settled in what is now Shoreline. They raised 5 children, Sindy, Brad, Kamla, Corbin and Conan. Craig started his own business the CR Callen Corporation in the 1960s which he continued until his death.While raising his family, Craig and Mary took them on numerous camping adventures throughout Washington and lower British Columbia Canada. Dad loved to fish but he never ate any! Didnt like the taste at all! Every morning though, he got up at the crack of dawn and caught fish, cleaned them, brought them back to camp and cooked them up for all us kids! What a great breakfast! Dad was involved in coaching baseball, football, playing sor and building boats! Early on he had made a small hydroplane with his good buddy Jimmy Hartwell resulting in many stories of high speed hi-jinks and close calls!! Later he built an 8 foot row boat in the backyard which led to many a fish meeting their demise. The boat met its demise 25 years later when the beaver dam broke and the beaver pond along with the little green boat were swept downstream and the boat was smashed as it slammed into a log jam!Craig also caught the motorcycling bug and over time amassed an odd collection of dirt bikes which the family enjoyed riding summer and winter. The dirt biking hobby actually led to his nick-name Crash. While test driving a bike in a friends back yard he accidentally tried to drive the bike up a stump!!!Craig was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Mary, great-granddaughter Sonja, his brother Fred and his beloved girlfriend Pat Ferraro. Craig is survived by brother Marshall and his wife Marilyn; Marie Larsen, friend and dancing partner extraordinaire and his 5 children, 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.In 1995, Mary passed away after a 3 year battle with cancer. After her passing the family urged Craig to get up get out and DO something! Otherwise, he was just going to sit on his back porch and slowly fade away. He eventually joined a grief group for surviving spouses where he met many wonde people who helped him get back in the swing of things. This led to lunches at the senior center, and the over 50s dance group, which is where he met Pat Ferraro. Through Pat, he discovered they shared a love of dancing. Dad loved music and dancing and he and Pat danced and attended dinners at the Elks, Eagles and the VFW where they met many, many more wonde friends.As life goes, Pat sadly passed away Oct of 2009. Again, it was time to urge Craig to get off his back porch chair and get out, go have coffee (which he loved), meet people. He finally got off his rear end and started going to the senior center where he met new friends and re-connected with former friends, including Marie Larsen. Thank heaven for Marie; he began dancing again, attended dinners and also enjoyed taking walks with Marie at Paramount Park.In 2007, Dad had been diagnosed with an aortic aneurism. His doctor told him he had to stop smoking and gain weight! 2 things Craig had extreme difficulty with. On January 23rd, 2012 Craigs aorta began leaking. He was operated on early morning the next day by an extremely talented surgeon. Craig made it through the operation. We were told that the next week or so would be critical. He told us after the surgery that he wasnt ready to go and wanted to fight. He did, and we tried to fight along with him and for him. Many prayers and many hours spent bedside, helped him battle until the end.Dad had started fighting for survival early in his life at the age of 4 and he fought again for 4 weeks and 6 days before his 83 year old lungs gave out. I dont know what inner fortitude made Craig so tough, but he was. He will be deeply missed by his family and many, many friends.