JOHN SHERWOOD CRAFT John Sherwood Craft died of cancer in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 31, 2014. He is survived by his wife Alyce Davis Craft, his two daughters, Johna Craft and Lani Brandt, his son, Gary Craft (Iris), his stepdaughter, Kristine Kelley (Jim Martling), his three grandchildren, Jonathan Lutes, Keani Genzel (Robert), and Robert Edge (Katie), his nine great grandchildren, three step grandchildren, Jordan, Evan, and Jennie Angle, and one step great grandson. He was a wonderful Tutu Kane to all. John was born on an farm on July 1, 1921 in Blackhawk County, Iowa to Harry Howard Craft and Vera Marie Craft. John had one sister, Cleo Arlene (Weirich). In 1928 the family moved to Cedar Rapids where John attended school and worked seven mornings a week delivering newspapers, rain or shine. John was active in school especially in the dramatic arts. He had a fine tenor voice and used it well in the light operas, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. He also played Earnest Worthington in The Importance of Being Earnest. He sang in church and played the violin. John graduated in June of 1938 and joined the Navy on August 16th. John first went to sea on his birthday July 1st, 1939 ending up seasick and with a bad sunburn. He arrived at Pearl Harbor on July 7th which began his lifelong passionate love for the Hawaiian Islands. John's ship stayed in battleships in Pearl Harbor until he and his ship were transferred to help beef up the Asiatic Fleet arriving in Manila just two weeks before December 7th,1941. He was at sea in the South Pacific throughout the war in the Philippines, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and Darwin, Australia. After the war he was in Japan for Operation Road's End to help destroy the remaining Japanese submarines. Even though he was an American Naval Officer he became friends and played Bridge with his new Japanese friends. He became particularly close to a man whose son had died in the war and who gave him his treasured Samurai sword when John was shipped home. John met and married a school teacher, Jane Atkinson in 1941. They had three children, Johna, Lani, and Gary after the war. They lived mostly in Kailua, Oahu except when the Navy had other plans. John served in the Navy during the Korean War and was assigned to the Atlantic in Norfolk Virginia in 1951. He even went to Guantanamo Bay in 1958 after Castro appeared. John retired from the Navy in March 1959 as a Lieutenant Commander and moved home to Honolulu, Hawaii as a civilian. John started a new career as a industrial and commercial painting contractor. He was the founder and President of John Craft Painting. He was always very involved in his community joining Rotary (VP and director), Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club (President), S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. Society for Preservation and Encouragement for Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (President), the Ilikai board, St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Kailua, Oahu Country Club, Outrigger Canoe Club, and the Propeller Club of Honolulu. On March 5, 1969 John married Alyce Davis Kelley in Incline Village, Nevada after a whirlwind romance that lasted for 45 fun filled years. They moved to Incline for part of each year having the best of two worlds splitting time between Honolulu and Lake Tahoe. At Tahoe John joined the Crystal Bay Yacht Club and the Incline Village Golf Club. John also started a new career as a Real Estate agent/broker in Honolulu and Lake Tahoe when he and Alyce weren't playing golf, fishing, playing bridge, socializing with their many friends, and traveling around the world. John was an avid fisherman his whole life introducing legions of children to the joys of fishing. He owned a 31 foot fishing boat, the Alyce C, that he built with his son Gary and kept on Molokai. John caught and cooked many mahimahi in Hawaii and trout in Lake Tahoe but his trophy fish was an 800 pound blue female Marlin caught in the Molokai Channel. John immersed himself in the Hawaiian culture and his everyday language was enriched by many Hawaiian words and phrases. In spite of his lifelong habit of smoking cigars, John kept his voice and sang many Hawaiian songs, old standards, with a Barbershop Quartet, and even La Marseillaise. He also did a mean hula. His singing and dancing version of "The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai" was the highlight of many nights in bars, restaurants, clubs, and homes over the Islands. John's family is very appreciative of the fine care John received at the Tripler Army Medical Center in his last days. John was the life of the party and we will all miss him. Private services pending.
JOHN SHERWOOD CRAFT John Sherwood Craft died of cancer in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 31, 2014. He is survived by his wife Alyce Davis Craft, his two daughters, Johna Craft and Lani Brandt, his son, Gary Craft (Iris), his stepdaughter, Kristine Kelley (Jim Martling), his three grandchildren, Jonathan Lutes, Keani Genzel (Robert), and Robert Edge (Katie), his nine great grandchildren, three step grandchildren, Jordan, Evan, and Jennie Angle, and one step great grandson. He was a wonderful Tutu Kane to all. John was born on an farm on July 1, 1921 in Blackhawk County, Iowa to Harry Howard Craft and Vera Marie Craft. John had one sister, Cleo Arlene (Weirich). In 1928 the family moved to Cedar Rapids where John attended school and worked seven mornings a week delivering newspapers, rain or shine. John was active in school especially in the dramatic arts. He had a fine tenor voice and used it well in the light operas, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. He also played Earnest Worthington in The Importance of Being Earnest. He sang in church and played the violin. John graduated in June of 1938 and joined the Navy on August 16th. John first went to sea on his birthday July 1st, 1939 ending up seasick and with a bad sunburn. He arrived at Pearl Harbor on July 7th which began his lifelong passionate love for the Hawaiian Islands. John's ship stayed in battleships in Pearl Harbor until he and his ship were transferred to help beef up the Asiatic Fleet arriving in Manila just two weeks before December 7th,1941. He was at sea in the South Pacific throughout the war in the Philippines, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and Darwin, Australia. After the war he was in Japan for Operation Road's End to help destroy the remaining Japanese submarines. Even though he was an American Naval Officer he became friends and played Bridge with his new Japanese friends. He became particularly close to a man whose son had died in the war and who gave him his treasured Samurai sword when John was shipped home. John met and married a school teacher, Jane Atkinson in 1941. They had three children, Johna, Lani, and Gary after the war. They lived mostly in Kailua, Oahu except when the Navy had other plans. John served in the Navy during the Korean War and was assigned to the Atlantic in Norfolk Virginia in 1951. He even went to Guantanamo Bay in 1958 after Castro appeared. John retired from the Navy in March 1959 as a Lieutenant Commander and moved home to Honolulu, Hawaii as a civilian. John started a new career as a industrial and commercial painting contractor. He was the founder and President of John Craft Painting. He was always very involved in his community joining Rotary (VP and director), Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club (President), S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. Society for Preservation and Encouragement for Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (President), the Ilikai board, St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Kailua, Oahu Country Club, Outrigger Canoe Club, and the Propeller Club of Honolulu. On March 5, 1969 John married Alyce Davis Kelley in Incline Village, Nevada after a whirlwind romance that lasted for 45 fun filled years. They moved to Incline for part of each year having the best of two worlds splitting time between Honolulu and Lake Tahoe. At Tahoe John joined the Crystal Bay Yacht Club and the Incline Village Golf Club. John also started a new career as a Real Estate agent/broker in Honolulu and Lake Tahoe when he and Alyce weren't playing golf, fishing, playing bridge, socializing with their many friends, and traveling around the world. John was an avid fisherman his whole life introducing legions of children to the joys of fishing. He owned a 31 foot fishing boat, the Alyce C, that he built with his son Gary and kept on Molokai. John caught and cooked many mahimahi in Hawaii and trout in Lake Tahoe but his trophy fish was an 800 pound blue female Marlin caught in the Molokai Channel. John immersed himself in the Hawaiian culture and his everyday language was enriched by many Hawaiian words and phrases. In spite of his lifelong habit of smoking cigars, John kept his voice and sang many Hawaiian songs, old standards, with a Barbershop Quartet, and even La Marseillaise. He also did a mean hula. His singing and dancing version of "The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai" was the highlight of many nights in bars, restaurants, clubs, and homes over the Islands. John's family is very appreciative of the fine care John received at the Tripler Army Medical Center in his last days. John was the life of the party and we will all miss him. Private services pending.Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
