AUGUSTA – Craig A. Thulen, 76, passed away at his home on May 17, 2021. He was born in Gardiner, Dec. 18, 1944 the son of Ernest and Phyllis Harriman Thulen.

He had great memories of growing up on Northern Ave. in Farmingdale. The whole street was filled with cousins and friends. His cousins, the Gibersons next door, his cousins the Linton boys right down the street, his best friend Rod Myrick next door and the whole rest of the “Northern Ave. crew”. What stories they would tell when they all got together!!

He met his wife, Linda Perkins when they attended Baptist Youth Group in high school and started dating her when she was 16 and began working at his Dad’s restaurant, Ernie’s Drive In. They were married at Winter St. Baptist Church on Jan. 28, 1967. They worked at the Drive in until 1974 when Craig decided he wanted to be able to travel with Linda. They especially liked the mountains and National Parks. They went to the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mt. National Park, Smokey Mt. National Park, Mesa Verdi and others. They camped several years and in 1981 they bought their camp on Three Mile Pond.

Craig loved large family gatherings. He liked to cook Ernie’s burgers and onion rings. Family and friends were very important to him.

He worked at Brewers Dairy and CMP Security but then decided to work full time with Linda doing Thulens Daycare. It started with Brad and Julie and Kelly and Tony and was open for 40 years. What fun he had with the kids. He was very creative and always had a special project going. Having no children of their own, the day care kids were “his kids”. How he loved it when they came back years later to visit and Halloween was always one big reunion! He always put up great pumpkin people displays. All the kids were so special and it would be impossible to name them all. Special thanks to all who came to see him in the last days, he loved you all.

He was an avid Gardiner Tiger football fan and followed Gardiner and Halldale in basketball. He graduated from Halldale in 1965. He loved the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. Larry Bird was his favorite. His biggest passion was bass fishing. He loved to fly down the lake in his bass boats. He had special fishing buddies over the years. Jay, Bobby and Eric; cousins Jeff Linton and Kerry Cookson Jr; nephews Jason and Jordan Greenleaf; Mark and Chad Greenleaf and many hours fishing with Ryan and Tyler Hughes. And you ALWAYS had to wear your life jacket!!

He was predeceased by his parents; special cousins Gary Cole, Ricky Goodwin and Peter Giberson; and sister-in-law Elaine Greenleaf.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Linda; sister Carole Murphy (Peter), sisters-in-law Kathy Perkins (Guy Bates), Anna Garrity and Hilda Michaud, brother-in-law Danny Greenleaf; aunt Peggy Goodwin (Richard); nephews Mark and Jason Greenleaf, nieces Kim Stinson, Katie Allen, Bethany Greenleaf Perez, all so special; and many cousins, great nieces and nephews. Special thanks to Greg and Elaine Thulen and Vicky Niles.

Funeral service to be held Saturday, June 5 at 11 a.m. at Penney Memorial Baptist Church in Augusta, followed by a gathering of family and friends at their home on 12 N. Pearl St.

Arrangements are under the care of Staples Funeral Home, 53 Brunswick Ave., Gardiner, where condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website familyfirstfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers,

donations in Craig’s memory may be made to:

Kennebec Land Trust or:

George Mitchell

Scholarship Fund

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