Francis Peter Craig passed away Dec. 18, 2025. He is remembered as a beloved son, friend, brother, nephew, cousin, musician, visual artist, philanthropist and true renaissance man.
The only child of LeRoy and Helen Craig, Frank (also known as “Flash”) was born in 1947 in Trenton and raised in Little Silver. He was deeply loved and adored by his parents. He graduated from Red Bank Catholic in 1965 and went on to study at Assumption College in Richardton, North Dakota, and Monmouth College in West Long Branch.
Frank was a lifelong musician whose talent was matched only by his quirky versatility. His musical journey started at age 13 in the ROTC band, and developed during his college days in North Dakota playing with The Weeds. After moving back to New Jersey, Frank found his way into the heart of the 1970s Jersey Shore rock scene when he manned the Hammond B3 for the band Southern Conspiracy. He played with musicians D.W. Griffiths, John “Chubby” Conine, Paul Kleiser and Ed Dougherty. He was a creative force who designed multi-image sets, produced albums, and served as the unofficial archivist, retaining media clippings, ticket stubs, posters and photography.
Flash played with Earth, the early Bruce Springsteen-led band, at Le Teendezvous and during their gig at the Crystal Ballroom in the Hotel Diplomat. In his later years, he became one half of The Fabulous Washboard Brothers, a duo he created with his friend Cal Vetrane.
Frank also worked with Audio Visual Labs in Atlantic Highlands, where he created multi-image theater shows. After moving to California, his company, Twin Palms Media, worked with Fortune 500 companies and various stage productions, specializing in multi-image programming.
Throughout the 1990s, Frank’s theatrical resume included several large-scale productions in San Francisco: George Coats Performance Works, Berkeley Repertory Theater, The San Jose Repertory Theater and San Francisco Multi Image Showcase. From this work, he garnered numerous achievement awards in the field and was highly regarded by his peers.
Frank lent his talents to the Tony Award-nominated Broadway hit “It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues” during its run at the Ryman in Nashville.
He also spent several seasons in Redwood City, California, with the living nativity village Bethlehem A.D., coordinating audio while serving as a character in the living nativity scene.
Frank was an avid photographer, capturing personal and professional moments throughout his life; most notably using possibly dubious foreign press credentials to attend and film the 1985 Rio de Janeiro Carnivale.
Further accreditation included being a proud Universal Life Church minister (The Church of What’s Happening Now), which Frank used to preside over the marriage of several friends.
In addition to his production talents, Frank was a lover of the ocean. He earned his certification from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and was a member of the Cousteau Foundation, an organization dedicated to the world’s oceans. He also supported Friends of Clearwater and the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association.
Frank discovered at the age of 68 that he was adopted. A DNA test revealed two sisters he never knew he had. Just as shocked as he was, so were they. Unfortunately, he was unable to meet his birth mother, Lucy Stakeliunas Berreitter, as she passed away in 1992.
He did get to know his sisters, Lynn and Gail Berreitter. They first met in Princeton in 2016 and Frank visited them in Florida a few times and got to celebrate Lynn’s 60th birthday with her, Gail and numerous cousins. There were also visits to his home in Little Silver and a trip to Vermont together for the Fourth of July. Frank was of Lithuanian decent from his mother’s side and French Canadian from his birth father’s side. His sisters will miss him dearly.
Frank is also survived by members of the Crawford and Craig families. Frank had, until recently, co-owned a farm in Starksboro, Vermont, with his Craig cousins. He is also survived by a circle of family and friends who will miss his quirky spirit, inventive mind and open heart. As a lover and supporter of music, Frank donated his Hammond B3 and a Steinway piano to Lakehouse Music Academy and Recording Studios, where a little bit of him will live on in recordings and performances for years to come.
A memorial party will be held at Flash’s childhood home in Little Silver in early May. Live music will be featured. Photos and funny stories of Frank can be emailed to flashcraig.memorial@gmail.com.
The article originally appeared in the April 2 – 8, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
