Reno Air Crash Victim Had Local Ties

As communities all over the Reno and Lake Tahoe areas are reeling in the aftermath of the air show plane crash that killed 11 people and injured more than 70 last week, Mill Valley residents are among those mourning the tragedy.

John Craik, a 45-year-old contractor and resident of Gardnerville, Nev., who was among the 11 people killed Sept. 16 at the National Championship Air Races crash in Reno, had a number of Mill Valley ties.

Craik was born in Marin and he and his wife Lori and their two children, Ethan and Mackenzie, lived in Mill Valley in 2008 and 2009. Craik’s grandparents lived in Blithedale Canyon and his father Cameron, was a grad and a longtime local resident who died in April 2010. Craik’s sister Kelly is married to retired Mill Valley Police Sgt. Clark Meyer.

Michael White, who hired Craik as a foreman for his MW General Contracting firm in Mill Valley in 2008, said he was deeply moved by Craik’s passing.

“In every sense of the word and in everything he did for me and everyone else he cared,” White said in an email. “His loss has touched me greatly. He was a truly good and gentle man who walked the planet with respect and created shelter for his fellow man/woman with great talent and finesse. What a terrible and tragic loss of a father, husband and friend.”

In addition to his work, the 6-foot-4 Craik had his own construction company, Big John Construction, based in Gardnerville.

Kendra Pollack, a Mill Valley resident who became friendly with the Craik family after meeting John Craik through a contracting bid, echoed White in calling it a tragic loss.

“John was an amazing man and a wonderful part of our community,” she said.

Craik had taken his 12-year-old son Ethan to see racing pilots in Reno, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. Craik's mother, Ginny Craik of nearby Woodfords, Calif., told The Associated Press that her son was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries sustained after the WWII-era fighter plane dove into a crowd of fans, an inexplicable crash that also killed the 74-year-old stunt pilot James Leeward. Craik later died as a result of those injuries. Ethan Craik reportedly was not seriously injured in the incident.

Lori Craik could not be reached for comment.

According to the Record-Courier in Gardnerville, a memorial service for Craik is set for 3 p.m. Oct. 2 in nearby Markleeville. A memorial fund has been established for the Craik family by the Woodfords Volunteer Fire Department at U.S. Bank, account No. 153754802939.

The city of Reno announced this week that it is holding a memorial service Sunday for all victims, their families and others affected by the accident.