On August 16, 2026 at age 75, Craig Christilaw began his solo flight to his final resting place after a short battle with glioblastoma. Born in Midland, Michigan in 1951, Craig was the eldest of five children and grew up driving tractors on his family's farm. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation from Western Michigan University. Craig fell in love with flying at the age of five when he took an airplane ride in an old Aeronca. This lifelong passion became a defining thread throughout his entire life.

Craig’s flying career took him from the small single-engine airplanes of his college years to some of the world’s great commercial aircraft. As a Department of Aviation student at Western, he paid for airplane rental by working as a lineman, refueling airplanes on the Kalamazoo airfield, building time in Cessna 150s, 172s, 177s and 182s, Mooney M-10 Cadets, Piper Cherokees and Grumman American AA-1B and -1Cs. After graduation and his marriage to his loving wife of 50 years, Colleen, he became a “freight dog,” hauling automotive parts in twin Cessna 310s, 402s and 411s. His career flourished from there and with it came flying time in the Beech 99, Hawker Siddeley 125, Gulfstream Turbo Commander, Boeing 727, Citation III, Lear 35A, Navajo Chieftain, Cessna 421 Golden Eagle, IAI Westwind 2 and Challenger 600. In 1989, Craig landed his dream job with Northwest Airlines, where he flew the Boeing 727, DC-9, Airbus A320 and ultimately the A330. After Northwest merged with Delta Airlines, the boy who had fallen in love with flying during a ride in an old Aeronca, finished his professional career crossing oceans in the A330 for Delta, flying international routes before retiring in 2011.

During retirement, Craig owned two airplanes, bringing his remarkable aviation journey almost full circle, back to the kind of small airplanes that had first captured his imagination as a child. He returned to flying purely for the joy of it, owning first a Grumman American AA-1A Yankee and later a Cessna 177 Cardinal, both of which he adored. Desiring to give back to the local aviation community, he served on the City of Grand Haven Airport Board and in 2016, as a Grand Haven Aviation Association member, he spent his entire summer nearly single-handedly re-painting the F-100 Super Sabre jet in Thunderbird colors at the Grand Haven City Airport. He enjoyed being a member of EAA Chapter 211 at the Grand Haven Airport and volunteered many hours to help restore vintage aircraft with fellow airplane enthusiasts.

An involved father, Craig coached his son’s AYSO soccer teams and Odyssey of the Mind team, cheered on his children at their sporting and school events, and enthusiastically attended his daughter’s various musical, theatre, and dance performances. Time with his family was always among his greatest joys. They shared a lifelong closeness and spent time together as much as possible. He was an Amateur Radio enthusiast, an interest that started in high school and only ended when his brain cancer silenced him this summer. He loved talking daily on the 80-meter band across the North American continent and the 2-meter band locally. He had many steadfast radio friends across the USA from 30 years of talking on the 4:30 to 5:30 am “Nut Factory” net. He was also a member of North Ottawa Amateur Radio Club (NOARC) for years and enjoyed contributing to public service activities and Field Days.

Craig loved adventure and was keen on rollerblading, skydiving (22 jumps), jet ski adventures, motorcycle riding, backpack camping, and long-distance car driving. He had a 60-year, love/hate yet faithful relationship with Detroit Tigers baseball and Detroit Lions football with the frequent refrain, “next year they are going to win it.” He perfected swimming pool maintenance for his backyard pools and was known as the Cannonball King for his expertise in that maneuver. Craig was a generous and kind person, meeting everyone with a wide smile. His life was committed to hard work, integrity, and consideration of others. He made many friends at the local Y in his years of daily workouts and on his twice-daily dog walks into Lake Forest Cemetery. He was known in jest as the “Mayor of Gladys Circle”. He was a treasure to his family, and they were his greatest treasures. He will be missed forever by his family and many, many friends.

Craig is survived by his true love, Colleen Rockey, and his adored children; son, Matthew Christilaw, daughter Cathleen (Drew) Kenney and his beloved golden retriever, Princess Violet, and granddog Lucy; also by his siblings, Janine (Randy) Bingham, Ward (Lynne) Christilaw, and Teresa (Billie Jo) Christilaw and brothers-in-law, Larry (Linda) Rockey, Bruce Rockey, James (Maria) Rockey, and Daniel (Tifenn Boisard) Rockey, and his treasured nephews and nieces and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Christilaw and Clare Chritz, his brother, Scott Christilaw, his parents-in-law, Gordon and Alyce Rockey, brother-in-law William Rockey and his cherished Labrador Retrievers, Emma and Luke and granddog, Stella.

A Celebration of Craig’s Life reception will be held on Wednesday September 9, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Camp Blodgett Retreat Center, 10451 Lakeshore Ave, West Olive. We welcome family, friends, and his many acquaintances to join us.