William R. Craddock, Jr.

William Robert Craddock, Jr., born June 18, 1954, passed away at home Friday, April 25, 2025 at the age of 70. He was predeceased by his father, WW II Navy Veteran William R. Craddock, Sr. and his mother, Mary Nuttall Craddock. He is survived by his loving wife of 28 years, Shari Hood Craddock; one sister, Peggy Craddock Swearingen; his son, Jeremy Robert Craddock (Jill), his daughters Jennifer Craddock Harris (Chris) and Stephanie Dawn Craddock; his beloved grandkids, Chase Harris, Blake Harris, Jaycee Craddock, and Jorja Craddock.

Bill was a dedicated employee of VDOT for over 42 years as a mechanic and was an integral part of snow plow removal to get the roads cleared after a storm in the local areas surrounding Richmond. When the first snow hit upon his retirement, he got such a kick out of saying how he was just going to sit there and watch the snow fall and he hoped it covered everything, because he wasn’t going out in that mess to plow anymore.

He went by many names, but the names that held the most weight to him were Dad and Papa. He was a hardworking man who always wanted his kids to succeed and have a better life than him. He never “wanted or needed anything”, but was always grateful for everything you gave him. He was always willing to lend a helping hand. If you showed up at his house, he’d often tell you “Go on in the kitchen and get yourself something, there’s plenty in there”. When he hugged you, you could feel the love from him. In later years the arrival of his grandkids brought on a new title and filled him with immense joy.

There were only so many places you could find Bill because he wasn’t going far; a baseball or soccer game, dance recitals, car shows, in the garage messing with his Chevelle, or in the back yard by the koi pond with Shari. He was smart, funny, stubborn, and bigger than life. Family was everything to him and he was everything to his family.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at a later date with more information to come.

The family is receiving services of comfort from Wilson & Associates' Funeral Service - East Chapel, 5008 Nine Mile Rd., Richmond, VA.