Craig John Cecconi

Craig John Cecconi passed away in his home with family at his side and serenity in his heart on May 21, 2020. He left this world in a tremendously peaceful state of mind, understanding that God’s lovingkindness and boundless mercy are bigger than anything we can think or imagine. His last few weeks were filled with many thoughtful conversations about God, life, death, an immense awareness of being connected to the Source, and a wish to impart his newfound understanding to others. He became a student of consciousness, an observer, a disciple, and eventual teacher.

Beloved son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, and friend to countless, Craig will most be remembered for his enormous heart and robust love of people. He had an affinity for those less fortunate, and was forever drawn to the underdog, the marginalized, and especially those unable to help themselves. His generosity will be remembered for generations, as will the compassionate devotion of his time to support anyone in need.

Craig is survived by his beloved wife, Loretta, who he cherished with all his heart for 19 years. They were each other’s “person,” best friend, and the love of each other’s life.

He is also survived by his devoted mother Joan, sister Karen, brother Kurt, (Jackie), sister Lisa, (Larry Vaughn), and nieces Briana, Shelby, Sarah, Talia and Alana. He was also deeply loved and will be greatly missed by Loretta’s family including Laura, Lucas (Ellen), Lynne, Leslie, Laurence (Jenn), Louis (Nicky), Louise (Rick), Lance (Reyna), and their children Breanna, Jerry, Jaxon, Brandon, Ellie, Mia, Lila, Kacey, Jason, Austin, Brett, Geraldine, Camilá, Jameson, Noah, Kathleen, Jane, Sam, Alexa, Olivia, Mary, Scott, Maxwell, Derek, and Zachary.

Considered true family as well, Craig’s dogs were his adored children, and he will be profoundly missed by his “sons” Carlo and Vinny.

Things Craig loved included, first and foremost, family. He also loved to travel, with his favorite place in the world being his treasured Italy, where he and Loretta journeyed as often as possible over the past decade. Their favorite area is the Italian Riviera, where they spent many glorious days taking walks, enjoying beautiful fresh meals, breathtaking views, and—because Craig was Craig—meeting as many people as possible. Their dream was to someday live there for part of each year, with Santa Margherita as their picturesque home base. Craig also loved Paris, which they visited in 2016. He was a true lover of San Francisco, and also adored his many visits to Palm Desert over the years, where hundreds of family memories were made.

Craig was a voracious reader, with his tremendous love of books often having him finish at least one per week, after which he would give a full, well-thought-out, comprehensive review to anyone who would listen. His favorite book of all time was Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, and also loved anything written by Wally Lamb. He had a great passion for movies, (often predicting the Oscar winner for Best Picture), with his favorites, naturally, being those with a defined underdog or unthinkably grave circumstances.

To say that Craig loved barbecuing is an understatement; he loved nothing more than creating the perfect meal on the grill. And his garden was his kingdom; the beauty, quality, and quantity of gorgeous vegetables he lovingly nurtured in his bountiful backyard garden gave him an enormous sense of pride and joy. 

Craig worked in concrete construction, driving a concrete truck for 17 years, and was involved in many large projects including thousands of hours spent working on the SF/Oakland Bay Bridge and San Mateo Bridge, often at night. He was an avid weight lifter, fantastic dancer, (he really had the moves!), and talented golfer; he loved to play the game on a warm day with his beloved late father, Jack, brother Kurt, and many, many friends.

Craig’s presence on earth will be sincerely missed, but his expansive spirit will live on forever. His charm, ten-thousand-watt smile, and loving soul touched more lives than he knew. At the end of life, he had truly come into his authentic self with intention, gratitude, purpose, love, and light.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your local ALS chapter, or to the October 24th “Walk to Defeat ALS,” where a team has been established in Craig’s honor, appropriately titled “Craig’s Italian Riviera.” The link can be found here: http://web.alsa.org/goto/Craigs_Italian_Riviera

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