Craig was born in Hand Hospital, Shenandoah, Iowa to Clarence and Clarice Richards of Westboro, Missouri. He grew up on the family farm in Westboro, attending Westboro Methodist Church and Westboro grade school, Junior High and High School. He graduated from WHS in May 1967, which was the last class to graduate from Westboro HS.

He attended the University of Missouri in Columbia through 1970. He then worked for Central Surveys headquartered in Shenandoah from 1973 to 1976.  He and his friend, David Bayless traveled the country doing door to door surveys. Dave relates that Craig always wanted to visit the State Capital in each state where they were doing surveys. After Central Surveys, he then transferred some credits from Kearny State in Nebraska to Missouri and graduated with his BS degree from Mizzou in 1977.

Craig worked for approximately 10 years for a telemarketing company in Omaha. Next, he had several different jobs including driving a taxi, working briefly for 911 in Omaha, a travel agency, two different messenger services and driving a school bus for Milford School district in Omaha.

Craig was an avid sports fan. At one point he wanted to see a ball game in each of the major league stadiums. We’re not sure how close he came to his goal. He also enjoyed going to games at Creighton and other sporting events, from watching his cousin, Natalie Shepard play Soccer to the College World Series.  He was, of course, a huge fan of the Missouri Tigers but he also cheered for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Kansas Jayhawks. In 2005 he saw each of these teams in a bowl game going from San Antonio, Texas to see Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl, Fort Worth, Texas for Kansas in the Fort Worth Bowl and finally to Shreveport, Louisiana to cheer Missouri on in the Independence Bowl. He had the appropriate attire for each team.

As his health deteriorated. He moved to Owensville, Missouri near his sister and brother-in-law, Charlotte and James Bailey. After being diagnosed with Dementia and unable to live by himself, he was assigned a guardian who helped place him in Stonebridge Nursing Homes in Hermann and Maryland Heights, Missouri. He passed away suddenly on January 1, 2023.

He is survived by sister, Charlotte Bailey; niece Christyn Grant and her husband, Tony Grant; great niece, Katrina Grant and many Richards cousins.

Graveside Service: 10:00 A.M., Saturday, June 10, 2023, Center Grove Cemetery, Westboro, Missouri.

There is no visitation.

Local Arrangements: Davis Funeral Home, Tarkio, Missouri.

www.minterfuneralchapels.com