Estelle Craig carried her intense passion for music for nearly all of her 79 years — and spread that passion on to hundreds of others as a teacher.
Ms. Craig, who taught music at the Cranbury School for 25 years, died Sunday after a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Ms. Craig, born in 1921, grew up in Montclair where during the eighth grade she awakened her fire for music when she began playing the violin. She continued her interest in playing the instrument publicly until recent years when she became ill.
"She started playing violin in the eighth grade and stuck to it," Ms. Craig’s sister, Esther McGarey, said. "She truly enjoyed her music. It was such a big part of her life."
Ms. Craig became the first of her family to graduate from a four-year college in 1944, when she earned a degree in music from Maryville College in Tennessee. Though Ms. McGarey said her sister was the shy one growing up, Ms. Craig’s journey to the school inspired her to begin attending one year later.
Ms. McGarey said the family affectionately called Ms. Craig "Skip" after the sisters discussed giving her a nickname while vacationing in Delaware.
"She didn’t have a nickname and wanted one; so, one day we were by the water and thought about the nickname Skipper," she said. "Eventually we shorted it and the whole family stated to call her Skip."
After graduation, Ms. McGarey began her lifelong pursuit of helping others learn about and appreciate music with a stint as the music teacher in Middle Township in Cape May County. Three years later, Ms. Craig found her soul-mate in 1947 when she married William Craig of Paxton, Mass.
At that time, Ms. Craig brought her violin talent to the Montclair Operetta Club, a well-respected community theater organization that used to draw Broadway actors to star in their shows.
In 1951, Ms. Craig became a mother with the birth of her son, Richard. Her sons Robert and Warren were born in 1953 and 1955. Ms. Craig began exposing her sons to music and the arts at an early age by bringing them to the club for shows like "The Music Man" and "Carousel."
"We all came to know and love music and theater," said son Bob Craig. "We got an appreciation for Broadway music from going to her theater."
Ms. Craig became a music teacher in Cranbury in 1963 after moving to East Windsor the year before. Her friendly attitude and interest in the lives and musical development of her students left a positive impression with many of the teachers she worked with, including current Cranbury School teachers Natalie Diefenbach and Audrey Smith.
"She was very friendly and pleasant to work with; Estelle was very well liked," said Ms. Diefenbach. "She worked so very hard with the children."
Mr. Craig said his mother treated Cranbury like her home away from home.
"She love the town of Cranbury," Mr. Craig said. "I think she really enjoyed driving there every morning. She often remarked to me about how delightful it was that the school was located in the middle of town."
Mr. Craig said he remembered his mother’s commitment to her students vividly, both in the classroom and when negotiating with administrators.
"She was always on the prowl for good string players; she enjoyed working with anyone who enjoyed music." Mr. Craig said. "She was known for not being shy about expressing her ideas to the principal about what her students needed. She always stood up for her students."
Ms. Craig retired from teaching at the Cranbury School in 1988 but continued to give lessons for a decade.
During her retired years, she kept herself busy not only with lessons but became a charter member of the Westminster Community Orchestra of Westminster Choir College at Rider University in Princeton, a charter member of the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society and she continued her longtime activity at the First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown where she sang in the choir.
Friend Lois Groendyke said she remembers Estelle for her friendly attitude and devotion to "never missing a game" of her grandson Jared’s Little League Baseball team.
"She was just one great person," said Ms. Groendyke, a friend and fellow churchgoer at the First Presbyterian Church in Hightstown. "She was very gracious to everyone. She had a great personality for meeting people and doing for them."
"She never missed a game," Ms. Groendyke said.
Like many, though, Ms. Grandike remembered Ms. Craig most for her passion for the music and her violin.
"That was just her gift, I guess."
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown, 320 N. Main St., Hightstown, N.J., 08520 or to the Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society, 164 N. Main St., Hightstown, N.J. 08520. Donations can also be sent to the Westminster Community Orchestra, 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, N.J. 08540.
