Craig Henry Wisti

Craig Henry Wisti was born and raised in North Bend. Craig’s parents were George A. Wisti and Erros M. Wisti.

He graduated from North Bend High School in 1968. In high school, Craig was an American Field Service exchange student to Spain, where he lived for three months with a Spanish family. This experience led to his love of travel, but also led Craig and his family to host a Norwegian exchange student, Nils Bolstad, in 1992.

This relationship continued, as Nils came back to Astoria for several summers. His parents visited for two weeks in 1996. Craig and Sara returned the visit in 2008, and spent two weeks with the Bolstads, traveling up the western coast of Norway.

Craig attended Willamette University, where he graduated with a degree in biology in 1972. After two years of graduate school, he found his ideal job working with young people in an educational setting. Craig loved working with his students, and enjoyed helping them achieve more than they thought they could. He was a firm, but caring teacher. He received various teaching awards.

Craig loved plants, especially native woody ones. He belonged to the Native Plant Society of Oregon and the Dwarf Conifer Society.

In 1981, Craig met Sara Stinebaugh. They were married two years later. In 1986, their first child arrived, a son, Erick Wisti. A daughter, Ann, arrived in 1988.

To honor his Finnish heritage, Craig and his friends built an authentic Finnish sauna on a hillside behind his home. Craig was most proud of collecting the wood material by finding washed up timbers on the Astoria riverfront.

In 2011, Craig wanted to revisit northern Spain, where he was an exchange student. He was able to locate the apartment in which he spent the summer of 1967. So many changes in 44 years led to a rich and melancholic experience.

In 2019, Craig and Sara visited Finland to meet Craig’s relatives. The highlight of the trip was visiting a round church with a 120-foot wooden dome. Craig’s great-great-grandfather helped build this structure. One of his cousins bought tickets to a Finnish baseball game. It was a wild version of American baseball, but very enjoyable.

Craig is survived by his loving wife, Sara; his children, Ann and Erick (Alisha); grandchildren, Emma and Henry; and brothers, Bob and John (Joani) Wisti.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lower Columbia Memorial Hospice, 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, OR., 97103 or Friends of Suomi Hall, P.O. Box 146, Astoria, OR., 97103.