Deceased 4-Sep-2018 in Suwanee, GA
James (Jimmy, or Crafty) Russell Craft, age 66, of Suwanee, GA, passed away September 4, 2018. James is survived by his brother, Kenneth Fischer Craft, Jr. (Judy); niece, Kelly Hayes (Abe);
nephew, Kenneth Fischer Craft, III (Sarah); great nephews, Julian Craft, Finnley Craft, Jackson Hayes; great nieces, Avery Craft and Hayley Hayes; cousins, Ben Fairfax (Rosalind), Luisa Obekpa,
and Lydia Fairfax.
Jimmy was born on January 4, 1952 in Arlington, attended the full 12 years of Arlington County Public Schools (Stonewall Jackson, Kenmore JHS, and Washington-Lee HS), was a member of
Clarendon Baptist Church and the Boy Scout troop at First Presbyterian Church. He played varsity basketball at Kenmore JHS and captained the varsity basketball program at W-L for the 1969-70
season. After high school, Jimmy attended Bridgewater College in the Shenandoah Valley, playing point guard on both the frosh and varsity basketball squads. He then earned his MBA from James
Madison University.
Jimmy’s career in business took him to all parts of the compass with residences in California, Australia, Tokyo, England and then his final home outside of Atlanta. He hit it big by designing the
accounts receivable program for Bell South that allowed us all to bring up movies on our television screens on an a la carte basis, rent them, and pay “on-line” using a credit card. He sold that program
to Bell South, pursued early retirement for a couple of years and developed a pretty good golf game before Bell South hired him to travel the world for them, setting that program in motion globally. So,
anytime you rent a movie today—wherever you are--on fandango or other channel, or in a hotel, it all came to pass through the genius of our classmate. And he became a pretty good golfer, anyway.
Jimmy had a genetically vulnerable heart condition which ultimately brought about his death one evening while he slept. He’ll be missed.
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written by Bruce Milam, Class of 1970 classmate
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Bruce Milam (Milam)
I met Jimmy in the first grade at Jackson. He taught me how to play basketball and ping pong but I never beat him, even once, one on one in either sport. He was Bobby Mitchell and I was Norm Snead in his backyard. We were in Boy Scouts, winning regional awards together in signal flagging and first aid. We camped around the USA for 10 weeks after our junior year in college with our neighbor Haig Paul (W-L, '71). I got him in trouble with his parents so many times that his mom forbid him to hang out with me anymore, but he ignored her. We went to the Georgia vs LSU game in Athens Ga one year just to hang out as adults.
I got the call from his brother Ken that they found Jim had died in his sleep from a massive heart attack. I was on the plane to Atlanta that very day and gave his eulogy. He was, for my lifetime, my best friend.
Melanie Patrice Wood (Hudson)
Bruce, what wonderful memories of a great guy. Thank you for sharing.