Mar 18, 2025

formerly of

Lemont Furnace

Patricia “Patty” Louise Craig passed peacefully, in her sleep, Thursday, March 13, 2025, after a brief illness.

Patty was born November 21, 1930, in Connellsville, to parents Charles E. Thomas and Cora Charlesworth Thomas. Unfortunately, Cora did not survive childbirth so Patty was raised by her paternal grandparents and extended family members in Lemont Furnace.

Patty loved sharing stories with family about her happy days growing up on Rosy Hill.

She graduated from North Union High School in 1948, and was immediately recruited as a secretary at the WMBS radio station in Uniontown. She worked there several years until she was swept off her feet by a dashing young Navy man who had bright blue eyes like her favorite singer, Frank Sinatra.

She married Robert “Bob” Taylor Craig October 27, 1951, and her life as a nomadic Navy wife began.

Their first destination was Norfolk, Va., where Bob was stationed. Before long her first two children, David Lee Craig and Robin Sue Craig (Brown) were born. Shortly thereafter the family was moved to Morocco on the northwest coast of Africa where her third child, Mickey Kim Craig (Kovach) was born. Patty did well there even considering the culture shock she must have experienced moving to a place so different from Rosy Hill. After three years the family was moved back to the USA and stationed in Sanford, Fla. Patty loved living in Florida and going to the beaches with family. Next, the family was moved to Charleston, S.C. Bob retired from the Navy about a year later.

The family then moved back to Rosy Hill to the house Patty was raised in, renovated to now include running water and an indoor bathroom! It meant a lot to Patty that her children would grow up in a similar setting as she had. Within a few years Patty’s fourth child, Terry Lou Craig (Oline) was born.

Patty became a devout member of the Great Bethel Baptist Church in Uniontown serving as a Sunday school teacher and choir member for many years. She also volunteered at the Uniontown Service League.

Once Terry was raised, Patty returned to work as a secretary at the Southwest PA Legal Services, where she retired after a 24-year career.

Patty’s love touched so many people. She was the “neighborhood Mom” on Rosy Hill, where her childrens’ friends were always welcomed and given a place at the dinner table. Bob used to jokingly tease, “Don’t you kids have homes?”, but Patty always welcomed them. She was also a surrogate Mom for cousins Mark Craig, Rhonda Craig (Rendina), and Susan Craig (Osborne) and helped raise them in much the same way she was raised by her extended family.

Patty is survived by all four of her children and their spouses: Mary Beth Dodson (Craig). Donald Brown, Robert Kovach, and Randy Oline; grandchildren, Amy, Alyssa, Kelsie, Shelbie, Kellen, and Emily; and great-grandchildren, Thomas, Nick, Olivia, Zoey, and Linnea. Patty loved all of them dearly and never missed an opportunity to spoil them on birthdays or Christmas (or nearly any other holiday).

Patty was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, in 2009. She will be dearly missed.

Friends will be received from 3 until the 6 p.m. hour of service, Wednesday, March 19, in DONALD R. CRAWFORD FUNERAL HOME, Hopwood.