Memorial Service

In Memoriam of Craig Disbrow

– Deborah Jarvis, Secretary of A Sacred Place

     It was standing room only at the Craig Disbrow Memorial Service Thursday afternoon at the Canaan United Methodist Church. While the Reverend Peter A. Parent, the Pastor of the church seemed surprised by the number of attendees, none of Craig’s friends were. The large turnout of the day was evidence for everyone as to just how special Craig truly was.

     Craig passed away early the morning of December 18^th in a house fire that consumed the family residence and left Craig’s sister, Mary Lou Disbrow, homeless and both Mary Lou and their brother Andrew Disbrow’s family of Grafton, NH, bereft of a beloved member of the family.

     In the wake of the fire, a wave of support has poured forth from not only the long-time residents of the town of Canaan, but from the many people around the country whose lives Craig had touched. A Sacred Place, a spiritual center that Craig had been working with to gain Federally recognized status at the time of his death, took on the work of raising funds to benefit Craig’s two siblings and began to raise money to help Mary Lou Disbrow not only find a new place to live, but allow the family to retain the land owned since 1970.

    Craig Disbrow had been active in the town and the community of Canaan, NH for over three decades. He had served as an interim town administrator, done annual taxes for many local families, and played music both locally and around the region. He was well-liked and well-respected around the area, being seen as a generous soul with the gift of gab. He liked nothing better than to talk with a good friend or play music with others of a like mind, both of which gave him great joy.

     The service for Craig was a gentle one, punctuated by some of his favorite pieces of music and by an overwhelming sense of loss among the mourners gathered to honor him. The local Boy Scout group that Craig had spent so much time in both as a teen and as an adult, Troop 319, gave a presentation of the Order of the Arrow (OA), which culminated in the breaking of the arrow, symbolizing the end of fighting and the time of rest. This moving tribute was done in full formal OA style and was a strong reminder of Craig’s lengthy involvement with the troop.

     Following the presentation by the Boy Scouts, the pastor called on friends and family to come forward and speak about their memories of Craig. People from all walks of life stood and told of their encounters with Craig as a substitute teacher, a Debate professor, a tax lawyer, a musician, a mentor, but mostly, as a friend. Susan Weiss stood for the entire A Sacred Place board of directors, many of whom were present, and spoke for all of them as she told of how Craig had gone from being their legal counsel to becoming a close friend. This was a sentiment shared by many others gathered at the service.

     A Sacred Place will be collecting donations through the end of January, and all proceeds will go to help both Mary Lou Disbrow and Andy Disbrow’s family recover from their devastating loss. As of the time of the service, the memorial fund had climbed closer to its overall goal due to generous donations, but the family is still in need of your help. Please consider contributing to this worthy cause. Visit www.aspcanaan.org for more information.