Craig Westman's Obituary
Dr. Craig E. Westman died suddenly and unexpectedly in the early hours of Sunday,
March 22, 2026. Our hearts are broken, and it is hard to imagine a future without him.
We are deeply grateful to the many family members, friends, and colleagues who
reached out to share stories about him, convey their grief, and express their love and
support to us. As Madeleine observed, we are learning that everyone knew and loved
Craig the way that we did.
Craig Ellery Westman was born on July 9, 1965, in Weymouth, Massachusetts to
Virginia Westman Vickers and Franklin Vickers. He and his brother Erik spent their
childhood in Georgia and Florida. Craig, Erik, and their mom suffered profoundly at
the hands of an alcoholic father. But Craig worked his whole life to undo the damage,
and he succeeded. After attending years of Al-Anon meetings for children of alcoholics,
he became a resource and a comfort to many others whose families were marred by
addiction and abuse. With Lee Ann and his 4 daughters, he focused wholeheartedly on
being a loving and supportive husband and a devoted father.
When Craig was in high school, he had a long-term illness which caused him to miss
much of his junior year. He spent many hours studying the books of the Hebrew Bible
and the New Testament, and developed a lifelong love of the Bible. He shared this
knowledge for 8 years as a seminary teacher in both Michigan and New Jersey for youth
in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and with regular early-morning
emails to his wife and children.
Craig met his wife Lee Ann when they were graduate students at Florida State
University. They married in 1993, and began traditions that continued throughout their
33-year marriage including Saturday lunch, UNO for dollars, hide the spoon, the
Christmas ball, and many more.
Craig completed a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts degree in British literature from
Florida Atlantic University, and graduated from Florida State University with a Ph.D.
in American literature. As a graduate student, he took a job in the registrar’s office so
his family would have health insurance. However, he found the work far more
interesting than British or American literature and thus began his long tenure in
university administration. He led the enrollment teams at Ferris State University in Big
Rapids Michigan, The University of Texas at El Paso, and Rutgers University in
Camden, New Jersey. Craig was a true servant leader, and prioritized the growth and
empowerment of his colleagues over his own self-interest. Craig was quick to boost
others with his signature compliment “You Rock!!” which he meant every time he said
it or wrote it. He was collaborative and innovative in his efforts to support student
success from admission to graduation, and focused on creating opportunities for lowincome and first-generation college students. It is very appropriate to say that he saw
himself in their experiences, and often mentioned his own experience as a firstgeneration college student of a single mother.
Craig was often heard before being seen due to his loud and contagious laugh. It
resonated across the house, throughout a movie theatre, or on the other side of a
restaurant, and was an easy way to find him in a crowd. He had a terrific sense of humor
and loved all creatures great and small, domestic and wild. His family often described
him as a middle-aged Snow White. Craig greeted every dog he met with “HI big
sweetie!” and the dogs seemed to know they were meeting their biggest fan. His bird
feeding complex on the side of the house was beloved by cardinals, woodpeckers, NJ
goldfinches, neighborhood squirrels, turkeys, chipmunks, and deer, and they will likely
feel his loss keenly.
Finally, Craig must be remembered for his legendary generosity. Living with Craig was
like living with a genie, except wishes were unlimited. Sharing his time, energy, and
resources was his love language, and he loved fully.
Craig is survived by his brother Erik, his wife, Lee Ann, his four daughters Madeleine
(Josh), Erica (Jon), Jillian (Michael), and Paige (Ethan), and his six grandchildren Blair,
Margot, Henry, Leon, George, and Penelope. He relished when his grandkids resorted
to calling him “Cranky” because they could not pronounce Grampie. He is also survived
by his beloved dogs, Ocho and Wendy, who were the 8th and 9th dogs he owned and
loved during his lifetime.
Please join us to celebrate Craig’s life on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 252 E Evesham Rd, Cherry Hill Township, New
Jersey. Visiting hours with the family will be at 10 am and the funeral service will begin
at 11 am. The family welcomes donations to an endowed scholarship in Craig’s name
for Rutgers-Camden students:rutgersfoundation.org/westman
What’s your fondest memory of Craig?
What’s a lesson you learned from Craig?
Share a story where Craig's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Craig you’ll never forget.
How did Craig make you smile?