Craig Russell 1983-2007
Posted by Paul Woodhouse at February 8th, 2007
I’ve no idea how to say this other than just saying it:
On Sunday, during a game of football, Craig collapsed and died.
He was 23.
It really does go without saying that everybody at Butler Sheetmetal sends their deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Craig’s Mum and Dad, Carole and Barry.
If memory serves me right, Craig had been with us for around two years and right from the off he was part of the fixtures and fittings. You don’t just get away with turning up and doing your job in a quiet corner, you have no choice but to get on with everybody. And Craig managed that with ease.
Yes, he was a bit of a cocky bugger, but he was never arrogant with it. He was also a bit of a cheeky swine but a winning smile can work wonders. You could never fail to be impressed by his confidence, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and get on with the job. And, it must be said, one of the first things he learnt how to do was cannily keep the change on a chippy run.
It took John a while to find the right guy in Craig and he never once regretted setting him on. And neither did anybody else. He was equally at home having the piss taken out of him as he was to take the piss in the first place. Or, in local newspaper-speak: ‘he was a bit of a practical joker that always saw the funny side.’
But, Craig was infinitely more than just a work colleague. What used to happen on his and Jasper’s night-time fishing excursions is anyone’s guess, but they used to go on a few of them. I also don’t know whether it was Jasper who influenced Craig’s tale-telling (in)ability. Give the lad more than a couple of pints and he’d soon be waffling through some byzantine rant without beginning, middle or end.
But, he was 23.
The only thing I know with any certainty is that nobody can find the words to express how much Craig meant to everybody on a personal and professional level.
As with all things like this it’s just stutterings of incredulity, despondency, cliche and raw emotion.
And it will be for quite a while.
