George "Dennis" Crafton

George “Dennis” Crafton, formerly of Shamong (Indian Mills), New Jersey, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2026, after a long and courageous journey with Parkinson’s Disease.

Born in Parma, Missouri, Dennis spent his early years exploring the small towns of southeast Missouri and the city streets of St. Louis. A class trip to New Jersey altered the course of his life; he chose to remain with his aunt and uncle and eventually settled in the area where he would raise his own family. Cars became both his livelihood and his passion. With a natural gift for connecting with people, he managed new and used car departments across South Jersey and later owned Riverton Motors. Yet his proudest connection was personal: a customer’s mother encouraged him to notice her daughter, Edith Cucinotta. Less than a year later, Dennis and Edith married. Their three-decade marriage produced three children who inherited his humor, grit, and heart.

Dennis and Edith built a warm home in Edgewater Park and later in Shamong (Indian Mills), filled with neighborhood friendships, lively family gatherings, road trips, summers at the Jersey Shore, and extended stays in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. After Edith’s passing in 1996, he lived in Medford and Berlin, New Jersey, before moving to East Troy, Wisconsin, where he resided until his death. He loved good food and wine, travel, music, blackjack, gardening, dressing sharp, cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles, and watching the birds in his backyard, including the chickens he enjoyed raising. Above all, he cherished his grandchildren, including those of his longtime companion, Mary Alice Hoffman. He remained a joyful and encouraging presence in their lives, faithfully attending school concerts, plays, sporting events, and every occasion where he could express his pride.

Dennis was predeceased by his beloved wife, Edith (née Cucinotta); his mother, Pansy Rubel (Miskell); his stepfather, Lloyd; and his father, George. He is survived by his children, Denise (Ross Stevens) of Atlanta, Georgia, Vicki (John Bilotta) of Princeton, New Jersey, and Dan (John Lersch) of Eagle, Wisconsin; and by his grandchildren, Ansley and Walker Stevens, Connor Marrone, and Ethan and Owen Bilotta. He will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by countless friends, family members, former neighbors, and business associates with whom he shared many laughs, some tears, and a great deal of love.