[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23085]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE MEMORY OF MR. R.C. CRAFT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, Baldwin County and indeed the entire state 
of Alabama recently lost a dear friend and I rise today to honor him 
and pay tribute to the memory of Mr. R.C. Craft, a devoted family man 
and dedicated community leader.
  A veteran of World War II, R.C. moved to Gulf Shores from Fort Myers, 
Florida in 1954, where he parlayed 16 years in the nursery flower 
business with the H. L. Hobbs Co. into his own business growing 
gladioli.
  After 10 years, R.C. and his only child, Robert, went into the sod 
business, which continues to this day. By the late 1980s, the company 
diversified into championship golf courses. They opened Cotton Creek, 
designed by golfing great Arnold Palmer, as well as Cypress Bend and 
The Woodlands course.
  R.C. was a very personable man who loved to tell stories, but he was 
also a firm believer in hard work and determination. He was the type of 
man who would look you in the eye and firmly shake your hand when the 
deal was done. That was how he did business, and a successful 
businessman he was.
  In 2001, the Baldwin County Commission honored R.C.'s many 
contributions to the county as a citizen and a businessman. In 2003, he 
received the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Walton M. Vines Free 
Enterprise Award. Additionally, R.C. was a founding member of the Gulf 
Shores Golf Club and served as chairman of the Gulf Shores Utility 
Board. His contributions to Baldwin County and the state of Alabama 
will be long remembered.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a 
dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout south Alabama.
  R.C. Craft loved life and lived it to the fullest, and his passing 
marks a tremendous loss for all of south Alabama. He will be deeply 
missed by many, most especially his wife of 56 years, Jane Wingo Craft; 
his son, Robert Craft; his sister, Janie Johnson; two grandchildren; as 
well as countless friends and admirers that he leaves behind.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult 
time.

                          ____________________