Nearly 1,500 people packed the Enmax Centre on Saturday, including many of the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball Jets family past and present to pay tribute to one of its fallen.
Tanner Craswell, a Prince Edward Island native and former shortstop of the Jets, was remembered along with Mitch McLean and Tabitha Stepple, as the three young adults who were victims of a murder-suicide near Claresholm a little over a month ago on Dec. 15, gunned down by Stepple’s ex-boyfriend, Derek Jensen, who eventually turned the gun on himself. All were in their early 20s and Craswell and MacLean were on their way to the Calgary airport to fly home for Christmas when the shootings occurred.
Shayna Conway, the lone survivor of the tragic triple murder-suicide was on hand as well, making the trek from Calgary while still recovering from her bullet wounds.
Scott Reiling came across Crawswell in August of 2007 as he and his wife Tammy served as his first billet family, making the difficult transition of living so far away from home in PEI. At the memorial service on Saturday, Reiling spoke about Craswell’s legacy, along with Vauxhall Academy of Baseball head coach Les McTavish.
It was fitting the memorial service that honoured all four victims involved in the shooting was divided into nine innings, given the impact the foursome had in their respective circles. Reiling and McTavish spoke in the early innings, helping build a lead in the baseball game of life, powered by tearful words from the heart as common sentiments by speakers that would follow.
“Everywhere Tanner went, he left his mark. As part of his personality, people gravitated towards him.”
“Tanner was caring, thoughtful, loving, loyal, tender, respectful and had a tremendous passion for the game he loved in baseball,” said Reiling. “During my trip to PEI for Tanner and Mitch’s funeral, I learned where all these great traits that Tanner came from.”
Reiling learned that Tanner’s passion for baseball came from his father, Keith, a baseball legend himself in PEI, who would pick up Tanner for lunch every day so he could practise taking ground balls and then bring him back to the diamond after school as well, knowing a child with less idle time was a good thing.
“He knew if Tanner was on the diamond, he could not find trouble. Tanner first saw this as a punishment, but quickly learned the rewards of working hard and cherished the time with his dad,” said Reiling. “This commitment and desire to win and passion for baseball made Tanner the captain and leader of the VAB and every team he played for afterwards.”
While the desire for baseball, work ethic and dedication may have come from his father, Reiling added his caring, thoughtfulness, tenderness and huge heart came from his mother, Cindy.
“Tanner was the biggest momma’s boy I ever had the pleasure of knowing. He would do anything in the world for his mom. And in a short period of time he would do anything in the world for my wife as well. Tanner would cook, clean and would love spending time with our kids, and would be there for my family when I was away (coaching) volleyball,” said Reiling.
In that strong family and friend base he had that was nurtured in PEI, it transferred over to every other community he lived in to further showcase his baseball skills, earning many treasured friendships along the way.
“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but living without purpose. Tanner’s life was filled with purpose. Tanner loved life itself, his friends, his family and his baseball,” said Reiling. “I know that Tanner is looking down at us today with his charming smile, proud that we have come together from across Canada to celebrate his life. Tanner Craswell and Mitch MacLean have been called up to the true major leagues and will continue to turn magnificent double plays in a much better place as true angels in the infield.”
Craswell was a trailblazer for the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball in that he was the first recruit to make the long journey from PEI, paving the way for other Maritimers that would follow.
McTavish recalled coming into Vauxhall High School one morning and eventually heading over to the Reiling household, knowing Craswell was at first having trouble making the transition as a teenager, leaving home for the first time away from his family and friends from what must of felt a world away. After a long talk around the kitchen table and some tears, he said of how he wanted to leave and go back home.
“I told him he better get his licence, because I wasn’t driving him,” said McTavish, who added the shining shortstop for the Jets would eventually learn to settle right in and become the team’s captain and lead the team in many offensive categories.
“What made Tanner special was how passionate he was towards the team. He came back several times during the year to tell stories and he had a genuine interest in our academy and its players and his former billets and teachers and coaches,” said McTavish. “Tanner continued to leave his mark even long after his time with the program was over. Loyalty, integrity, excellence, leadership and selfless service described Cras.”
McTavish visibly started to choke up, and struggled to find the words as he continued to tell of Crawswell’s impact that far exceeded the game of baseball into the far more important game of life.
“Tanner, you will always be a Jet and your legacy will live on. Tanner, while we hope we helped make you a better person, you certainly made me a better coach... a better dad. In the words of Tanner Craswell, ‘You will not win because I will not lose.’ Rest in peace Tanner.”
Red and white wristbands, inscribed with "RIP TC and MM" and "Angels in the Infield Never Forgotten" were sold, with the money going to a legacy scholarship for future baseball players.