Above / “Always look on the bright side of life” provided the perfect sing-along way to send off a faithful, fun-loving man.
Update, Dec. 16, 2019 / On Dec. 14-15, the DeGraff family in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, held a moving sale that, in addition to a houseful of furniture and kitchenware, included a collection of building tools that had been used by John DeGraff Construction Company. While watching Denise DeGraff (My brother, Jay, is married to Denise’s sister, Cathy.) sort through the tools for sale, she held up what her brother, Dave, had described as a “mallet and the only item he wanted to keep” that had been used by his dad before his retirement. Dave lives in California and Denise planned to send it to him.
Upon closer look, I recognized “the mallet” to be an AJC Roofing Hatchet, one that had been designed and manufactured by my grandfather’s company, now known as AJC Tools in Stow, Ohio.
Again, I grabbed my camera and took a photo of the very well-used tool. And Denise and I spent the next few minutes in awe of the serendipitous encounter that connected one family to another.
Original Post, Nov. 24, 2019 / This past weekend husband Jim and I attended the celebration of my Uncle Jim Crookston’s 89 years that ended on Nov. 5, 2019. Services were held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Stow, Ohio.
Until last year, my uncle regularly showed up at the independently-owned family business he operated with his children called AJC Hatchet Company, also in Stow.
Over the years, we’ve become acquainted with a number of Naperville roofing contractors who use AJC branded tools and supplies invented and built by my uncle. So there’s been a local connection for a long time.
Uncle Jim was the wittiest of my 18 uncles and I recall that he especially enjoyed having the last laugh. (Yes. 18 uncles. Both my mother and father were from very large families.) I also know my brother, Jim, always has been proud to be his namesake.
On Nov. 23, 2019, his seven children and their spouses, 19 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren presented a tribute to this faithful, humble and caring man that we’ll always remember.
The song that provided memorable background music for the wonderful video collage of old photos was “My Way.”
And when many members of his family gathered on the stage in fellowship hall of the church toward the end of the luncheon for a sing-and-whistle-along to bid him a fond farewell, the title that captured his fun-loving spirit came right out that old Monty Python classic, “Monty Python’s Life of Brian.” I wish I’d thought of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” for my dad’s funeral this past August.
Then again, “Hail Purdue,” the Purdue Boilermaker fight song, was the perfect choice for Dad.
Below is one of several versions of the song featured online…
Sing and whistle along now… “Always look on the bright side of life. (Whistle) Always look on the right side of life. (Whistle)”
—Stephanie Crookston Penick
Uncle Jim’s obituary as printed in the program
James Richard Crookston passed away peacefully on November 5, 2019, at his home in Stow.
Jim was born on March 2, 1930, in Akron to the late Anthony and Mary Crookston (Heimann). He was proud to have grown up in Kenmore attending both Immaculate Conception and Kenmore High School.
Jim met Patricia Thomas at a high school dance and immediately knew that he had found his future wife. While Pat wasn’t nearly as confident, she eventually relented and they were married in 1951 shortly before Jim left for the Army. They returned to Ohio in 1953 and Jim started a successful roofing and spouting company.
In 1960, Jim purchased AJC Hatchet Company from his father and grew the business from a part-time undertaking in a small Kenmore shop to a well-known and respected name in the roofing industry. Jim continued to come to work every day at AJC until the fall of 2018.
Although Jim left Kenmore High School “with the full cooperation of the faculty” before finishing, he lived his life with a sense of optimism and curiosity that outweighed formal education. He was a self-taught businessman, musician and tinkerer who could “fix anything” (although he routinely lost his glasses along the way). Jim read the newspaper daily, often times writing letters to the editor extolling the virtues of freedom.
He was a lover of children and dogs and all things AV, producing countless wedding videos and slide shows for family and friends. Jim worked hard throughout his life, but was a gentle-hearted family man who loved to laugh and wasn’t afraid to laugh at himself. His humility and humor served as an example for all who knew him.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years Patricia Ann Crookston (Thomas), brothers Bob, Tom, Tony, Joe, Donald, Albert and Leonard Crookston, sister Helen Rowbottom along with great-grandson Teddy Bovard.
Jim is survived by his sisters Margaret Norris and Martha Howard and his seven children: Cynthia (Doug) Lane, Margaret (Bob) Bovard, Linda (John) Livigni, Kathryn (Rick) Rodgers, Matthew (Kathy), James (Kelley) and Thomas (Melanie) along with many nieces and nephews.
Jim is also survived by his 19 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren all of whom brought him great joy until the end.
We will always love you, Boss. Your work here is done, Pat is waiting for you.
