Please visit our online memorial and guestbook Craig A. Esslinger on November 10, 2009. Of Mill Neck, NY. Husband of Lydia for 40 beloved years. Son of Jean and the late Arthur Esslinger of Southold. Brother of Gay Lanctot and Scott. Son-in-law of Mary Szczech. Retired from IBM after 40 years as branch manager and account executive. Active in scouting, as a teen he was chosen the official escort for the first astronauts during their ticker tape parade in New York City. A Coast Guard veteran, Craig enjoyed all things nautical, sailing his trawler out of Greenport, N.Y. Craig was what he seemed: straightforward, honest, unpretentious. He knew who he was--a man of simple tastes and quiet authority. Husband, son, brother, uncle, patriot, lover of boats and engines and all things mechanical or electronic, bus driver, debate judge, friend to all creatures, problem solver and all-around Mr. Fix-it--roles he filled with assurance and good humor. A man who found joy in caring for ducks and stray cats, but was cunning enough to convince his brother to jump overboard to untangle a boat propeller from a lobster pot. His life was enriched by his devotion to Lydia. Theirs was a love story. Much free time was spent assisting his wife and her Syosset HS students in the speech and debate community of the Long Island Forensic Association. His death from pulmonary fibrosis at 64 was a probable result of being on site during the attack on the World Trade Center on 9-11-2001. Funeral Information Family will receive friends at the Francis P. DeVine Funeral Home Inc., 293 South Street, Oyster Bay, Friday 2-4 , 7- 9 p.m. Interment Saturday St. Agnes Cemetery Greenport.