Donovan and Betty Jane Craddock of Cape San Juan celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary July 18.
The Craddocks are natives of Pueblo, Colo., and met in high school there. They were married July 18, 1944 in Pearl Island Chapel, Langley Field, Va.; three weeks later, Don piloted a B-17 to England and later flew 35 missions over Germany.
After the war, they returned to Colorado where Don earned a degree in game management from Colorado A&M. Betty studied at the University of Colorado but kidded that she got her degree in “motherhood and family.”
Don was a career marine biologist for U.S. Fish and Wildlife. The Craddocks raised their family in Shoreline, where they were advocates for the building of Shoreline Community College; and lived in Alderwood Manor before moving to Cape San Juan 30 years ago.
The Craddocks have been active in numerous organizations on San Juan Island, among them San Juan Golf and Country Club, the Medical Guild, and the San Juan Pilots Association. In addition, Don served as president of the Cape San Juan Homeowners Association.
They have four children: Cyndy Gislason (Derry) of San Juan Island; Dr. Mark Craddock (Jinny) of Tacoma; Jeff Craddock (Merl) of Kauai, Hawaii; and Scott Craddock, also of Kauai.
The Craddocks have three grandchildren: Kellan Craddock, a student at the Art Institute of Portland; Kate Craddock, who is studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina, through Scripps College; and Elizabeth Craddock, a high school sophomore in Tacoma.
They have two stepgrandchildren, Drew Gislason (Alicia), and Brad Gislason (Pat); and five step-great-grandchildren, Lita, Genevieve, Eleanor, Alex and Nick Gislason.
