Eliza Alice Craven, 9, bounded into the world early in the morning of January 1, 2013, shortly after her parents and the hospital nurses watched the ball drop in Times Square. Like the holiday on which she was born, Eliza was sparkly, fun and kind of loud. After a courageous battle with cancer, she died peacefully at home on June 25, 2022, surrounded by her family.
Eliza was kind and creative, and had a talent for delivering witty comebacks that kept her family members on their toes. She loved spending time outdoors and planted a garden with her Dad every spring, which usually included sunflowers and a random assortment of vegetables. She enjoyed soccer, swimming, skiing, art, and the occasional pedicure - always choosing a vibrant color to match her personality. Her Mom was her favorite partner when tubing behind a boat or riding on a paddleboard. The beach and the mountains were special to Eliza and she enjoyed visiting at any opportunity. She also loved music and singing as a member of the children’s choir at White Memorial Presbyterian Church. Eliza loved to team up with her big brother, Asher, to create fun games and activities to entertain their little brother. She was an avid reader, having made her way through hundreds of books in just a few years. Eliza shared this passion with her little brother, Jonah, often reading him bedtime stories, and, most recently, teaching him to read his first three words.
Eliza is survived by her parents, Paul Lee Craven, III and Amanda Hayes Craven, her brothers, Asher and Jonah, of Raleigh, her grandparents Molly and Paul Craven of Durham and William and Bonnie Hayes of Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, her aunts and uncles Jill and Tony Chapin of Portland, Oregon, Todd and Sarah Hayes of Encinitas, California, Mark and Laura Craven of Raleigh and Seth and Michala Craven of Mobile, Alabama and cousins Andrew and Sydney Chapin, Samantha Hayes, Baker and Maisy Craven and James, Luke and Eli Craven.
The Craven family extends their thanks to the fantastic teams at Duke Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Transitions Kids for the exceptional care they provided to Eliza and her family during her illness.
A visitation will be held at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 St. Mary’s Street, Raleigh, NC on July 7, 2022 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. A Witness to the Resurrection service will be held at White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1704 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, NC, on July 8, 2022 at 2:00 PM. Please join our family in celebrating Eliza’s beautiful life.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a research fund being established in Eliza's name at The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, the Transitions Kids Fund at Transitions LifeCare (see Donations section below), or an organization that is close to your heart. To honor Eliza, read a story to or with someone you love.
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