Gardnerville man among Reno victims

A memorial service is planned for October at Turtle Rock Park for Gardnerville resident John Craik, who died of injuries suffered Friday at the Reno Air Races.

Craik, 47, a longtime contractor, moved with his family from Woodfords to Gardnerville last year.

"He was a very good friend," said Jack Merrill, whose home Craik built. "On Saturday, some friends told us about it. Woodfords is a small town, so everybody knows."

Merrill said his cousin introduced him to Craik in 2004.

"He was working on my cousin's bed and breakfast, and we were looking for a builder," Merrill said. "We saw some of the other jobs he was working on and we hired him."

Merrill said he's heard the family is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.

Ten people have been reported dead as a result of the crash of a modified P-51 Mustang into the box seats at the Reno Air Races.

Craik was injured and was taken to the hospital, where he died, his sister-in-law told a Denver television station.

Craik grew up in Alpine County and was a 1984 graduate of Douglas High School. He is the owner of Big John Construction, which he started in 1993.

Since the crash, authorities in Reno have been flooded with calls from around the country, as relatives and friends worried about the whereabouts of spectators. Medical officials used fingerprints and DNA to identify the remains of the victims.

"We've had some emotional calls, and it's because of the uncertainty," said Kathy Jacobs, executive director of the Crisis Call Center in Reno. "It's terrifying for those individuals not to know what has happened to their loved ones."

Meanwhile on Monday, officials with the federal National Transportation Safety Board headed home after the crash investigation, and the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority is resuming operations at Reno-Stead Airport, where Friday's crash occurred.

Investigators spent the weekend mapping the crash scene, collecting evidence and gathering what NTSB member Mark Rosekind called "tremendous amounts of material," including spectators' videos and photos. Officials also recovered an onboard data box and camera equipment believed to be from the plane.

Pilot Jimmy Leeward was among those killed when his modified WWII-era fighter plane, dubbed the Galloping Ghost, crashed nose-first into a section of VIP box seats.

In addition to Craik, authorities have identified some of the others killed in the crash: Sharon Stewart, 47, of Reno; Greg Morcom, 47, of Marysville, Wash.; George Hewitt, 60, and Wendy Hewitt, 57, both of Fort Mohave, Ariz.; Michael Wogan, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Regina Bynum, 53, of San Angelo, Texas.

The city of Reno announced Monday that it will hold a memorial service Sunday for all victims, their families and others affected by the accident. The City will dedicate a tree in the arboretum of Idlewild Park to the victims. The service, to be conducted by local clergy, begins at 6 p.m. at Idlewild Park arboretum, between the pond on Idlewild Drive at the east end of the park and the Truckee River.

• The Associated Press contributed to this report.