Jack Baker Craig

Jack Baker Craig, a gentle and loving father, grandfather, husband, and friend, passed away peacefully from a decade long battle with dementia, with his children and love of his life by his side on February 6, 2025, at the age of 80, and entered into the Eternal Kingdom. 

Visitation will be at First Baptist Fannin on Sunday, February 9, 2025, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm with a funeral service to follow at 3:00 pm. Mr. Craig will be laid to rest in Fannin Baptist Cemetery following the service.

Jack was born into the loving arms of his mother Mary Craig and father James Edward Craig Sr., and older brother James, on April 21, 1944, in Morton, Mississippi. Most of Jack’s childhood memories were formed in Jackson, Mississippi where his love of baseball and fishing were born. He became a big brother at the age of 17 and was able to share that passion with his younger siblings, Jerry Craig and Judy Harrison. 

Jack attended Forest Hill School for 12 years, where he proudly played the clarinet in the high school marching band and graduated in 1962. He had his first date with the love of his life, Ann Walden, on February 12, 1965, at the annual sweetheart banquet at Van Winkle Baptist Church, and they married March 11, 1967. 

Jack and Ann moved to South Jackson in 1968 and then welcomed their son a few years later, Jason in 1973, and their daughter, Amy in 1976. The Craig family lived in the same home for about 30 years where Jack preferred to be outside with his children tending his roses, and where his family made a lifetime of memories. He continued sharing his love of baseball and fishing with Jason and Amy and later with his grandchildren. He spent hours and hours playing baseball and softball with Jason and Amy in the backyard of their loving home. 

Although he often had a smile on his face, Jack’s smile was bigger when he was with one of his grandchildren. His grandchildren’s favorite pastimes with Pawpaw included playing hide and seek, fishing, looking at baseball cards, sharing his coin collections, and watching them play their sports. His legacy of his joyful spirit and love of sports clearly continues in his grandchildren. 

Jack and Ann joined Woodville Heights Baptist Church in 1969 and remained faithful members for many years. It was there that they met many of their lifelong friends that have provided such great support through the years. Jack enjoyed the blessing of watching his children’s baptism in this church. This place was the body of Christ to Jack as he and Ann raised their family. 

Jack worked in construction for many years where he was mechanically inclined and could take almost anything apart, repair it, and put it back together. This strength and love of working with his hands has been shared by his grandchildren who also enjoy picking up a tool and serving others with those skills. Jack used those skills to build a variety of projects for his family and friends. Some of those favorite memories his family holds were a playhouse he built for his daughter, and a grill that looked like a wishing well he built with his son. 

Jack and Ann moved to Brandon in 2004 and joined First Baptist Church Fannin. They served this church loyally every Sunday by using Ann’s gifts of floral design and Jack’s strength to carry heavy buckets of flowers. This was something Jack looked forward to each week of his way of serving the church. His sacrificial love for his family and friends and church was a defining characteristic of Jack. 

Jack spent the last year of his life at Peachtree Village where he was deeply loved by the staff and other residents. He was affectionately known to them as Jack Jack and the Security Man. You could often find Jack sharing his contagious smile and warm heart with the friends he made in this special place. He will be deeply missed by those that were lucky enough to cross paths with him. 

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, James Edward Sr and Mary Craig. He is survived by his wife of nearly 58 years, Ann Craig of Brandon, son, Jason (Rachel) of Waco, Texas and daughter Amy (Jason) Parkes also of Brandon; brothers, James Edward Jr. (Francis) and Jerry (Janice) of Brandon; sister, Judy Harrison (Mark) of Milledgeville, Georgia, and 5 grandchildren-Jackson, Grant, and Anna Craig of Waco, Texas, and Jace and Auburn Parkes of Brandon, Mississippi.