Michael G. Craft, Sr.

Colonie - Mike Craft Sr. (aka "Big Mike") , 74 of Colonie, NY passed away peacefully on Friday January 6, 2023, only a couple weeks before his 75th birthday. He is survived by his son Michael, and two granddaughters who he loved very much.

Mike was born in the NY Capital Region to William and Elizabeth. As a kid he grew up in a time when kids played "cowboys and indians", and had lots of fun spending his summers on a farm up in Canada where his mother was from. He enjoyed playing sports when he was younger and played basketball for Colonie High School, and some college basketball for the Junior College of Albany. Being a man of many ideas, he became an entrepreneur early on and entered into many business ventures. Some were successful, some were not. To keep it very simple, he met a lot of people at an early age, and a lot of times found himself around people that were a lot older than he was and who liked him. He made a lot of relationships and did a lot of things in his life.

Some might say a lot of Mike's life was quite book worthy because of all the things he did and got into. But whatever he got into, especially later in life, he was always trying to help people in one way or another and was never afraid to, in his own words, "give away a piece of the action". He would say that it's better to have part of something than to have all of nothing. Mike always had golden advice for anyone who came to him with a problem. It could be said that he did a lot better for other people than he did for himself at times, but that's just the type of person he was deep down.

In Mike's life he was a bar/nightclub owner, he sold modular homes for a while, had a concession at a local golf course for a while. He even had a hotdog business in Rensselaer, NY for a few summers when he got older. He was a man of many ideas and talents. Even up until the day he passed, he had ideas like that of creating a new college in our area and was advising local businessmen on a couple housing projects soon to be built in our area. There was even a film production that he was trying to bring to fruition. But his passing was unexpected and unfortunately was much like an entire library being torn down as is the case with many of our loved ones who have passed. You never know when it's gonna happen and you wish you had more time. So Rest in Peace Big Guy. You are greatly-greatly missed by your family and those who loved you.

Love you Dad

Love you Grandpa

Love you Mike