Shrewsbury – John Q. Cragin, Jr. peacefully died on April 11, 2020 of natural causes after being on hospice for a year, surrounded by people who loved him, the staff of Shrewsbury Nursing and Rehab Center.
He leaves his wife, Norma one month shy of their 65th wedding anniversary, his three children, and four grandchildren, Linda Cragin and husband Bob Lang, Debbie (Cragin) Emery, husband Jim and children Jason (and wife Alex) and Nicole, and his son David and wife Marilyn and children Jeffrey and Heather. He was born in Maine to John and Persis Cragin; his sister Jean pre-deceased him. He also leaves many sisters/brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews, including several that pre-deceased him.
He brought his love of airplanes to his service as a proud veteran in the US Air Force, serving six years as an airplane mechanic during the Korean War, and continued this passion through employment as a professional engineer at United Aircraft Corporation, at Wentworth Institute of Technology, as a consultant to the FAA, and as a private pilot. At Teledyne Engineering, he was involved with the Lunar Module. His children grew up as he built a plane, a Thorpe T-18, in the basement. They all learned how to rivet and went on family vacations to EAA fly-ins.
He was also a proud owner of a bright red 1950 Ford pick-up truck and president of the local Early Ford V8 club, an enthusiastic participant in Southgate’s annual shows (who knew he liked to perform?) and Men’s Breakfast. While living in Needham he was a Masonic Past Master of Nehoiden Lodge. He was a tinkerer; he could fix and build anything, and he did. As a child of the Depression, he saved everything, loved using coupons, and always looked for a sale.
The family wants to thank his private aide, the staff of Southgate at Shrewsbury Independent Living and Hampton Suites Assisted Living, Shrewsbury Nursing and Rehab Center, and JHC Hospice (especially Rev. John, Brenna, Sister Jane, and three college student volunteers) for their compassion, care, and enjoyment of John’s jokes and wry smile.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a memorial service with military honors will be at a later date. Memorial gifts can be sent to Shrewsbury Nursing and Rehab Center, 40 Julio Dr. Shrewsbury, 01545 or JHC Hospice, 646 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609 for staff appreciation. Chiampa Funeral Home of Shrewsbury isa ssisting with arrangements.
