Craig was born on December 15, 1951 in Chicago, IL. He was the son of Robert and Barbara Turpin. He participated in a variety of activities during his school years, including football, wrestling, chorus, and playing guitar in a band. After graduating from Hersey High School in 1970, he went on to study mechanical engineering at the University of Iowa.
After graduating, Craig went on to employment at Deere Harvester Works for over 35 years. After retiring, he returned to Deere for a couple years as special projects arose. In 1986, Craig designed and developed the Wiegel Die, which was used in production to reduce tooling costs for Deere and he received a patent for one of his designs in 2003.
He enjoyed bicycle riding. He completed the RAGBRAI bike trip 7 times. Craig met his wife, Teresa (Monk), during the first of these rides. They returned to Sibley, IA, where they met, to marry in 1988. Craig added two ladies to his family that day, as he also added her daughter, Angela, whom he later adopted. The couple welcomed their son, Douglas, in 1993.
Craig and Teresa continued to enjoy riding bikes together for years, completing numerous RAGBRAIs, and they toured Ireland on their bicycles, as well. Craig did not slow down during the winter months; he enjoyed snowmobiling trips with his buddies and family.
One of Craig’s most enduring hobbies was boating. He loved spending time on the water and enjoyed taking friends and family out for boat rides. Craig made numerous trips up and down the Upper Mississippi River and circled most of Lake Michigan. His dream trip, which was never realized, was to take the boat on The Great Loop (a continuous waterway including the Mississippi and other inland rivers, the Great Lakes, Atlantic Coast, and Gulf of Mexico).
Craig’s other passion was karaoke. He enjoyed performing for family, friends, and strangers. He took pleasure in knocking everyone’s socks off, as he could really sing. Craig had a varied playlist. His favorites included Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Sinatra.
Craig is survived by his wife Teresa, daughter Angela (Michael) Stadnik and grandchildren, Evan and Jenna Stadnik, of Waterford, NY. Other surviving family members include step-siblings Barbara Gaulden, Roberta (Allen) Smith, Bernard (Marilyn) Turpin, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was also close with Teresa’s family and considered them his family as well. Craig was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Barbara Turpin, his son, Douglas Wiegel, and step-brother Clyde Turpin.
Visitation will be Friday, March 18, 2022 from 5 pm until 6:30 pm at The Runge Mortuary. There will be no services. Online tributes may be expressed at www.rungemortuary.com.
