Craig Peter Dedman, husband of Barbara O’Brien Dedman, died on September 16, 2016, at The Connecticut Hospice in Branford, the culmination of a nine-year battle against cancer.
Born in Middletown, Connecticut on May 6, 1942, son of the late John and Louise Dedman, he grew up in Orange and attended Amity High School, where he excelled at golf, swimming, and football, and developed many lifelong friendships.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Southern Connecticut State College, where he was a member of the golf and swimming teams.
He spent most of his advertising career working for SNET Yellow Pages.
Craig was a longtime parishioner of St. Rose of Lima in Meriden, where he served the church and its former school in several capacities, including treasurer and president of the Home and School Association, president of the Parish Council, Eucharistic minister, assistant coach to the CYO basketball team, CCD instructor, and for the last 25 years has been a devoted member of the church choir, the ranks of which comprise many of his and Barbara’s dearest friends. He also gave himself to volunteering on the behalf of individual parishioners and members of the community who were in need.
Craig remained an avid golfer, and loved a good game of cribbage or chess, UConn basketball, Notre Dame football, the writings of Thomas Merton, and all things Irish.
Besides his wife Barbara he is survived by two sons, Peter and his wife Suzanne Sanders of Brooklyn, New York and grand-son Zen; and Timothy and his wife Allison Tuohy of West Orange, New Jersey and grand-daughter Finley. Craig is also survived by his younger brother, Jim and Jim’s wife Laurel Dedman of Waterbury.
In addition, he leaves sisters-in-law Stephania Dedman, Pat (Margaret) O’Brien, Margaret and her husband Robert Gillard, and Linda and her husband Tom Warwick; brothers-in-law and their wives Terry and Pat O’Brien, Jeremiah and Belena O’Brien, Dennis and Kay O’Brien, and Kevin and Judy O’Brien; and more than two dozen nieces and nephews in whom he took great joy and pride. Craig was predeceased by older brothers Jonathan and David, and brother in-law Raymond O’Brien.
Friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden on Thursday, September 22, from 4-8 p.m.
The funeral will be held on Friday, September 23 at 9:15 am from the funeral home and at 10am at St. Rose of Lima Church, 35 Center Street, Meriden for a Mass of Christian Burial.
Burial will be at Orange Center Cemetery, Route 152, Orange Center Road, Orange, CT.
Should friends desire, contributions in Craig’s memory may be made to SMILOW Cancer Center, Office of Development, Yale New Haven Hospital, PO Box 1849, New Haven, CT 06508-9979.