Craig Dixon French

Craig D. French, 68, passed away peacefully on Wednesday August 3rd following his battle with cancer. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, friend, and coach who is survived by his wife Irene, 3 children (Cameron, Keenan, and Kelsey), and 2 grandchildren (Tyler and Mason).

Craig graduated from Tumwater High School in 1972, studied at Central Washington University for 2 years, and then went on to earn his Bachelor of Forest Management at the University of Washington. He married his high school sweetheart, Irene, in 1975 and they had 47 wonderful years together. He was the owner of Pacific Timberland Management, but you may remember him from the days of French's U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm. He was also an active participant of his community and coached multiple athletic teams through his children's development: Rebels Youth Football, Tumwater and Babe Ruth Baseball, and Terminators Fastpitch.

Craig was hard working and willing to help anyone at the drop of a hat. He loved telling stories about the good ol’ days and regularly reminded us not to take life too seriously. Please help us celebrate him by sharing your beloved memories.

A celebration of Craig’s life will be held on August 25th at Heritage Hall on the Thurston County Fairgrounds at 1:00 p.m.