Andrew Patrick Craddock

Andrew Patrick Craddock, 81, died in Tucson, Arizona on January 2, 2025, after a difficult battle with heart disease.

He was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1943 to Andrew J. and Mary Dell (Corbitt) Craddock. They eventually made their way to San Diego, California, where Andy (or Pat as he was known to his family) attended Chula Vista High School.

He left school early to join the Marine Corps in 1960. Before his discharge in 1964, he served with First Force Recon, participating in missions off the shore of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Vietnam. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Prisoner of War medals. After working in construction for many years, he proudly served as a civil engineering contractor for the military at Fort MacArthur (San Pedro, CA), Holloman Air Force Base (Alamogordo, NM), and Naval installations throughout the Southwest region, retiring in 2013.

On February 13, 1965, he married the love of his life, Mary Elizabeth Johnson, in San Diego. They raised two sons, Bryan and Colby, in La Crescenta, California, and enjoyed family vacations to Arizona, Hawaii, and Oceanside, California. Their greatest joy was giving to their four grandchildren: Matthew, Priscilla, Lydia, and Gage (clothes from Nana and toys from Gunka). Mary died unexpectedly in 2013, leaving Andrew with a deep sense of grief.

He struggled with alcoholism for much of his life but found forgiveness, hope, and strength when he placed his faith in Jesus Christ on his forty-eighth birthday. He was a member of Grace Community Church (Sun Valley, CA) for many years and then of Central Church of the Nazarene (Tucson, AZ). He served in and was helped by recovery ministries in both congregations.

He will be remembered as a leader who was always “first in and last out.” He loved good food and was always eager to talk about his favorite local restaurants. By the grace of God, he will no doubt enjoy the great feast of heaven in the presence of his Lord and Savior forever.

Andrew was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew J. Craddock and Mary Dell (Corbitt) Craddock, his siblings, Ed Craddock, Nick Craddock, Don Craddock, and Sandra (Craddock) Trimble, and his wife, Mary Elizabeth (Johnson) Craddock. He is survived by his sisters Linda (William) Bray and Kandy Craddock; by his sons, Bryan (Shari) Craddock, and Colby (Regina) Craddock; and by his grandchildren, Matthew Craddock, Priscilla Craddock, Lydia Craddock, and Gage Craddock.

A memorial service will be held in his honor at Central Church of the Nazarene in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 11 a.m. A committal service will take place at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California on February 3, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. Donations may be made in his memory to Central Church of the Nazarene in Tucson.