Note: Helen Craig was the wife of William Craig, WPSD superintendent, 1969-1993.
CRAIG, Dr. Helen B., 89, passed away quietly on January 19, 2026, at Fleet Landing in Atlantic Beach, FL.
Born in Jacksonville, Illinois, she graduated from Edgewood H.S. (PA) and received her BA and PhD at the University of Pittsburgh and her MA at Willamette University (OR). She married William N. Craig in 1956, and they had 2 children.
Professionally, Helen worked for four years as Assistant Professor at the Univ. of Pittsburgh, then as the Research Director of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD). She wrote and published over 50 professional articles for national/international journals.
In 1994, Helen retired to Sanibel Island, FL with her husband, and she became a member of the Sanibel-Captiva Power Squadron, and she helped edit and write for the Soundings. She also painted, sailed and golfed. In 2006, She celebrated 50 years of marriage at Lake Lure, NC. Finally in June 2008, she moved to Fleet Landing in Atlantic Beach, FL to participate in many activities there. After her husband’s death, she continued writing for the Fleet Beat, golfing, traveling, and painting!
Helen is survived by her two children, Jenny (Didier) and Scott (Donna) and two grandchildren, Alex and Briana (Jonathan). She will be remembered with love for her wonderful, generous smile and beautiful warm personality and will to achieve any goals she set.
The family would like to express their thanks for the wonderful care provided by Amy, Tiffany and Patricia, and recently, the kindness shown to her by Jacksonville Hospice Team.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (300 Swissvale Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218).
Also we posted 2008 article about obituary of her husband, William Craig in our website.
Source: Dignity Memorial
From Stephen Rute article:
Helen Barnes was born to the parents of Harvey and Geneviene Barnes in Jacksonville, Illinois. She with the parents who were hired as teachers at WPSD and partly grew up at the school campus. She Worked as a part-time assistant in primary/elementary dormitory after school when she was a student at Edgewood High School during 1952-1954 at WPSD. After graduating from Edgewood High School in 1954, she got marriage by the future superintendent, William Craig in 1956.
Helen received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh in 1958. She taught preschool at Aanarde from 1959 till 1962. While her husband, William, gets a job as an assistant professor at University of Oregon College of Education, she grabbed her master’s degree from Willamette University in Oregon. After coming back to Pittsburgh, she spent four years as an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her doctrinal degree from University Pittsburgh in 1968. WPSD hired her as a research director till her retirement in December 1993 after twenty-six years of service.
Dr. Helen Craig wrote and published over fifty professional articles for national/international journals. Dr. William and Dr. Helen Craig donated to Sharing the Future at WPSD. After their retirement, they moved to Florida. After her husband died, then she passed away on January 19, 2026.