Craig Curtis Wash, 70, passed away peacefully in the evening on August 3rd, 2026, in Alton, Illinois, surrounded by loved ones and girded by his Catholic faith.
Craig was born on July 20th, 1956 in Warren, Michigan, to Charles Henry Wash, III and Thelma Kathleen Wash (née Tacey). He had an older brother, Charles Wash, IV, and two older half brothers, James and Gary Jacobs. Craig is survived by James, Gary’s wife Marie, Charles and his wife Eleanor, as well as Charles’s children Charles (Shauna) and Lori (Roger) and their families, all of whom he loved. As a young man, his father taught him construction and mechanical skills that served him for the rest of his life, and he also became a skilled housepainter. His working-class background was always important to him.
In his twenties, Craig headed out east where he met and married Barbara (“Duffy”) Dillinger in 1984, and their marriage produced three children and lasted for thirty years. Together they created a wonderfully artistic and interesting family life with much culture, adventure, and a love of learning and faith. He is survived by their children, Leon and his wife Krista, Isaac and his wife Xiaosu, and Eva Marie and her husband Thomas, as well as seven grandchildren: Anselm, Joseph, Gabriel, Sophia, Georgia, Lillian, and Catherine. He is also survived by Duffy and her husband Dennis Meyer, and many members of Duffy’s family whom he also loved.
After starting his family, Craig resumed his education at Berea College in Kentucky. There he and Duffy were embraced by a lively Eastern Orthodox community and soon converted. After Berea, Craig pursued graduate studies in Theology and Church History, first at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary in Yonkers, New York, and then at Fordham University, where he specialized in Early Church History and the writings of the Church Father John Chrysostom. For the rest of his life, Craig maintained a fascination with the charismatic figures of the Early Church and loved to tell their stories at every opportunity. Ultimately, he returned (along with Duffy and their children) to the Catholic faith of his childhood, modeled by his mother and many close friends including a saintly Franciscan friar named Fr. Robert Stanion. Craig was a devoted and beloved religion teacher for almost twenty years at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ. Until the end of his life, several of his closest friends were former colleagues and students.
Upon retirement from teaching, Craig felt called to return home to the Detroit area. There he found some new joys, as he formed new friendships, bought an old sailboat and learned to sail, did volunteer work, and adopted a terrier named King. He always loved music, especially the Rock and Roll of his youth, Blues, Funk, Zydeco, and Orthodox chant. He also loved to cook, being known for his smoked meats, cornbread, blueberry pie, and chicken soup.
Craig was a very resilient man, always working to serve his family and friends despite a decades-long battle against Hepatitis C, then a fight with liver cancer that led to a liver transplant, and finally an aggressive case of cholangiocarcinoma. He moved to Alton, IL in June 2026 to live near Eva and her family. His perseverance, generosity, good humor, and faith continued to inspire all those who cared for him. His life bore great fruit, and he is deeply missed.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at Elias, Kallal and Schaaf Funeral Home in Godfrey, Illinois.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 10, 2026, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Alton, Illinois.
Burial will immediately follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Godfrey, Illinois.
Memorial Donations in Craig’s honor can be made to Vitality Women’s Clinic in Alton and Fr. Robert’s Kitchen run by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Memorial Masses can be arranged at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alton.
Online condolences and guestbook may be found at www.eliaskallalandschaaf.com.
