Sidney H. Craig

Sidney Harvey Craig (March 22, 1932 – July 21, 2008) was an American businessman who was the business partner and husband of weight-loss entrepreneur Jenny Craig. Together, they founded the weight-management company Jenny Craig, Inc. and expanded the company throughout the United States, Australia, and Canada.

Early life

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Craig was raised in Los Angeles, California. He was a one-time child tap dancer who graduated from California State University, Fresno with a major in business and psychology. Later, he would commit $10 million to California State University, Fresno for its School of Business and Administrative Services. Fresno State renamed their School of Business to the Sid Craig School of Business.

While still a senior in college, he taught dancing at night for an Arthur Murray Dance studio. After graduation, he joined the company, finally ending up owning several franchises and serving on its board of directors.

Career

Craig then went on to work for a chain of women's fitness salons called Body Contour.

After Body Contour grew into 200 centers nationwide, it was sold in 1982 to NutriSystem. Because the buyout carried with it a non-compete clause in the United States, the Craigs moved to Australia to start the Jenny Craig weight-loss company there. The company became a great success and, after the non-compete clause expired, the Craigs brought the operations to Southern California, choosing Del Mar for their corporate headquarters. The couple sold the majority of their interest in the company in 2002. Nestlé purchased the company in 2006 for $600 million.

Personal life

In the process of taking the company national, he hired a woman named Jenny Bourcq as director of the New Orleans center. She became the national director of operations for Body Contour. The couple married in 1979. It was the second marriage for both.

Over the years, the Craigs had been actively involved in horse racing and had owned a number of successful Thoroughbreds. Sidney Craig was a popular figure at the Del Mar Racetrack, where his horses were at times exceptionally successful. Craig was introduced to the Del Mar racetrack when he was 22 and serving in San Diego with the U.S. Navy. During this time, Craig became friends with Hal King, who was also in the Arthur Murray Dance studio business, and together they began frequenting the track. King would later become Craig's trainer and was his racing manager until he died in 1991. In 1992, Dr Devious, a colt bought for Craig as a present by his wife, won The Derby.

In 1995, the Craigs purchased a Thoroughbred horse-racing stable, breeding operation and training center in Rancho Santa Fe called Rancho del Rayo.

In 2003, their horse Candy Ride won six races in a row, including the Pacific Classic Stakes, setting a Del Mar track record for 1 miles.

Death

Craig died on July 21, 2008, after a five-year battle with cancer. Captain Tom Brannan USMC of Morgantown, PA performed "Amazing Grace" by John Newton at Sidney Craigs Memorial Service on his highland bagpipes.

References

Obituary for Sid Craig at ESPN

Press release at Jenny Craig Inc. on the death of Sid Craig

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Sidney
1932 births
2008 deaths
American food industry businesspeople
American racehorse owners and breeders
Owners of Epsom Derby winners
Businesspeople from Los Angeles
Businesspeople from Vancouver
Canadian people of American descent
20th-century Australian businesspeople
20th-century American businesspeople