Owen Samuel Craft

Owen Samuel Craft, born on August 2, 1961, in Wichita Falls, TX, passed away on November 5, 2024, at the age of 63, leaving behind a legacy of service, faith, and music. He was the beloved son of Roscoe Conklin Craft Sr. and Helen Bessie Smith.

Owen's early years were filled with active participation in school, the community, his love for music and most importantly, his love of God. Owen attended Booker T. Washington Elementary School, Barwise Middle School and Wichita Falls High School in Wichita Falls, TX. He graduated from high school in 1979, then attended Texas State University in San Marcus, TX where he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi.

During his youth, Owen was a devoted member of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir and received a firm foundation in the Lord. During his high school years, he showcased his many talents by playing baseball (3rd base), basketball, participating in ROTC, and continuing to sing in the school choir and with the Youth Across America choral group. His musical journey with Youth Across America resulted in an album recording and led him to perform at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Vatican in Rome, Italy.

In 1988, Owen answered the call to serve his country by joining the United States Marine Corps. During his service, he was awarded Sharp Shooter status and was also honored with a Meritorious Unit Commendation. After boot camp, Owen served in the esteemed Honor Guard unit, and was stationed at 8th & I, White House detail, in Washington, DC. As a member of the Honor Guard, Owen's unit participated in parades, special White House events and funeral detail honoring other fallen veterans, 21-gun salute.

Owen's life was forever changed in November 1985 when he met Sandra Hilton. Their love story blossomed, and they were united in marriage on June 27, 2009. They shared 15 beautiful years of marriage, and the story of how Owen and Sandra met is quite entertaining, to say the least!

Owen was not shy in sharing the story of his past struggles and his spiritual journey with his friends and those close to him. He became a man of deep faith and was baptized at the Holgate Street Church of Christ in 2004. He continued his spiritual journey and worshipped at the Springbrook Church of Christ, where he served as a respected song leader, inspiring many with his dedication to the Lord, as well as sharing his musical gifts at Holgate Street, Springbrook and other Church of Christ congregations in Washington and Oregon. He also preached a few sermons during evening worship at the Springbrook congregation!

Owen received a 2-year Associates of Arts Degree in Computer Information Technology from South Seattle Community College. Because of his stellar grades, he made the Dean's List and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa, International Honor Society for two-year colleges. At the time of his death, Owen was working as an IT Contractor through RMS Computer Corp. / Dell Computing at the Boeing Plant in Renton, WA. He worked there for almost 2 years.

Owen was a man of strength, and though he was suffering physically from two forms of cancer (Lymphoma and Leukemia), you would NEVER have known because he wore a brave face. Those who knew him remember his dapper appearance, wearing his suits and dress hats on Sundays, or representing his Minnesota Vikings / Twins teams with hats, jackets and t-shirts. He loved the Vikings! He loved the Minnesota franchise. He loved them so much, he moved to Minneapolis many years ago. The fact that Prince lived in Minneapolis was just a bonus!

Owen loved music and listened to a wide variety of music; from old school Jazz to Parliament/Funkadelic, to Heavy Metal and Rock. He loved gospel music and loved watching sports (Minnesota teams only). He also enjoyed playing billiards (pool) and ping pong.

Although Owen had no biological children of his own, he loved his family and nieces and nephews on both sides of the family, his and his wife's. Owen leaves behind a loving family and community who will cherish his memory. He is survived by his wife, Sandra (Taylor) Craft; his stepson, Trumonda ("Tru") Hilton whom Owen met when Tru was just 5 years old; his brother, Roscoe Craft II of Columbus, OH; his sister, Glenda Sue (Marshall) Waggoner of Wichita Falls, TX; and a host of nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends.

Owen was preceded in death by his parents, Roscoe Craft I and Helen Bessie (Smith) Craft; his brother Claude Scales; and his sisters Carolyn (Raymond) Foster and Rosemary Craft.

Owen Samuel Craft's life was a testament to his dedication to his family, his country, and his faith. His legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. He will be deeply missed.

***In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to cover Owen's medical expenses and hospital bills. Donations can be made through CashApp at $SupVett57, or Zelle under the name Sandra Craft, phone number (206) 551-7883.