John "Craig" Neikirk

John Craig Neikirk (June 29, 1945) passed away on August 6th following a brave battle with cancer. Janet, his beloved wife of twenty-three years, was by his side.

Craig was a creative spirit with a gift for building evident at a young age. He built his first teak sailboat at nine, building hot-rod cars by 15, before training as a master carpenter and craftsman in Carmel-by-the-Sea. It was as a craftsman that his quest to create beauty was realized. Craig’s homes are prime examples of the ‘regional expressionist’ movement. Using the natural landscape as his guide, he designed homes to be a part of nature using large expanses of glass, exposed supports, and undulating roof lines to mirror nearby hills. A lover of nature, Craig believed good design could support a better world. Craig salvaged timbers, designing homes to maximize passive solar gain, and incorporated Spanish tiles to maximize thermal mass storage. Never content to ‘just’ design (or re-design) a house he would also build cabinetry, bespoke fireplaces, custom furniture, unique light fixtures, as well as design the landscaping. His art works in aluminium, steel, bronze, and clay further solidified the partnership between home and natural world. Craig truly achieved his goal of marrying functionality and beauty into his architecture and life.

Craig fell in love with the Southern Oregon Coast in the early 1970s and chose to build a life in what he considered ‘the most beautiful place on earth’. There are four of his custom homes in North Bend and Coos Bay, and numerous people have experienced the way he transformed a space into wonderfully warm homes that are treasured by generations of families. Many in the community fondly remember ‘The Golden Storehouse’, a unique shopping arcade he designed and led construction of in the 1970s.

Everything Craig did was larger than life: his many accomplishments, friendships, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He loved to share knowledge with others and encouraged those he met to strive for excellence in whatever craft they pursued. He is preceded in death by his parents (John and Muriel), brother Gerald, Cynthia, eldest daughter Tawni, and granddaughter Edna. He is survived by his soulmate Janet; children Jeff, Dana, Oscar, Alice, Annie, and Bridgit; bonus-children Holly, Emily, Angela, and Daniel; 19 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and countless friends.

A celebration of life has been set for Saturday, September 20, 2025. For information please visit: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/celebration-of-the-life-of-craigneikirk

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