Obituary of Craig William Atwater

Craig William Atwater passed away on Friday, January 10, 2025. In his nearly 91 years of life, he graduated from the Hill School and Cornell University, served in the Army, worked for Moody’s Investor Service for 30+ years, and was active in First Presbyterian Church of Madison Ave (NYC) and Englishtown. Music played an integral role in his life. He played the piano/organ at Cornell’s Lambda Chi Alpha’s house, in the Army band in Japan, on Broadway, at 1st Presbyterian Church of Englishtown and at the Gardens of Monroe Nursing home. His memory for music was vast and he played daily until his death. 

He loved football and his teams were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills. His trivia knowledge, especially history, sports, geography, and music, made him a ringer in trivia games. In his later years, he developed a knack for blackjack and often won 10s of cents at a time.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Elizabeth Atwater; children: Mark Atwater (Yari); Jennifer Atwater-Bongiovi (Joseph); Margaret Atwater-Singer (Nicholas); Catherine Atwater (Gregory); grandchildren: Kailee, Jack, Devin, Mallory, Brianna, Connor & Ava; and nephew: Douglas.

Craig is preceded in death by his father, Karl Atwater; mother, Hilda Atwater Green; step-father, William Green; brother, Carl Atwater; brother-in-law, Ian Scott; sister-in-law, Joy Scott; and nephews, Bruce and Paul.

Visitation is from 10 am to noon on Friday, January 17, 2025, at Freeman Funeral Home in Manalapan, NJ, with a service at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church, 50 Main St, Englishtown, NJ, 07726. To leave a condolence or find directions, visit www.freemanfuneralhomes.com

 As Craig’s motto was, “Sit back, relax and have a few laughs,” the family invites you to honor Craig’s memory by sharing stories of him while having a few laughs.