Tag Archives: Edward J. Craig

Edward J. Craig II ’39

Edward J. Craig II, died on July 18, 2018 in his 98th year in Newport, RI. Edward was born in New York City on August 18, 1920 and moved to Santiago, Chile as a young boy where he spent 6 years.
After he attended the Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA and the Scarborough School-on Hudson, NY, Edward attended the Musical institute of Art and then matriculated at Columbia University in 1939 and also acted in at least one Broadway production. His studies were interrupted by the start of WW2 and he joined the US Marines in 1941 as 1st Lieutenant Marine Infantry (1st Battalion) and lead one of the first platoons to land on the beaches of Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942 where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. Edward was later promoted to Captain and became aide-de-camp for the Commanding General of the USMC in the Pacific in Melbourne, Australia until 1945 when he was decommissioned.
Edward then started working in a antiquated book and manuscript business in NYC and graduated from Columbia University in 1948. He completed graduate courses at Brown University and earned an MA degree in English and Spanish literature from URI.
He then embarked on a teaching career at the Portsmouth Priory, Brown University, the Newport Naval College in Newport, as well as a number of public schools including Thompson Junior High School in Newport. Edward taught Spanish, French, Latin and English Literature over the years in different capacities.
Edward created an antiquities business from home from 1969 – 2003 and was an avid amateur artist of painting and music.
Edward is survived by his wife, Valentine Vernon Craig and nine of his ten children Grenville, Vernon, Valentine, Guy, Diana, Gloria, Franklin, Francesca and Marion. His second son Edward J Craig III died in 1976.