A gentle American who put down deep roots in Thailand

Whitcraft was a much-respected figure in the long-term foreign business community, and the longest-standing member of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), which was founded shortly before his arrival. 
“To me he was always kind, interested, unflappable, gracious and an inspiration,” former AmCham president David Lyman said on Monday.
Having spent two years with the US military in Korea and Japan, Whitcraft came to Thailand with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and went on to work for many years with Diethelm & Company, a Swiss trading company.
At the age of 54, when it was clear his family saw its future in Thailand, Whitcraft founded RMA Group, which would eventually prosper as a private conglomerate specialising in emerging markets.  The RMA Group is in the automotive distribution and modification business, infrastructure equipment and hospitality.
The company today is run by Whitcraft’s sons, Kevin and Tom, and the family’s story is included in “Americans in Thailand”, published last year by Editions Didier Millet in Singapore and reviewed by The Nation here: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/sunday/In-Siam-with-the-Yanks-30249774.html.
A man of great humility and quiet humour, Whitcraft would tell newcomers that he arrived in Thailand “before air-conditioning”.
With his first job in life being a caddy at age 10, Whitcraft was a keen golfer, one of his more unexpected achievements was scoring his first hole-in-one at the age of 83.
Whitcraft and his wife Rosemary, who died in 2012, stayed far longer in Asia than they had ever envisaged. Their family is now in its third generation in Thailand. 
Rosemary worked passionately for the American Field Service (AFS), which over the years facilitated studies for countless Thai students in the US.
Whitcraft leaves his sons Tom and Kevin, their wives Anna and Malee, and grandsons Nicholas, Don and Dylan. Funeral arrangements will be made in November and announced closer to the date.