Guy Craig

With great sadness and a deep sense of loss, we mourn the death of Guy Lamar Craig, 87, in Surprise, Arizona. Born in Creston, Iowa to Herbert and Waldean Craig, with one older brother Carmen. His schooling through his high school years were in Des Moines, Iowa. After serving in the Air Force in mid-to-late 1950's, in Yuma, AZ. he returned to the Midwest, to Omaha, Nebraska. He took an "interim job" (sic) at The Nebraska, a family-owned fine men's and women's store. He claimed his first step on his successful retail career was finding some old, dusty clerical vests in a back room, changing the buttons and selling all of them. He also claimed he started the "Big Red cowboy hat craze" for the fans of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, by daring to order a "boatload" of red merchandise. Which fans promptly bought. So, that "temporary" job lasted 10 years, during which he met and married his wife of 62 years, Diane Brown Craig, and had his only child, Blair Craig. Leaving The Nebraska, the family moved to Los Angeles, California for Guy to run a new division of Grodin's clothing stores. Then, with a new title, Guy moved the family to the Bay Area of CA, so he could help run the whole chain. As the years and schools went by, the family hopped back and forth to Omaha, then to Palos Verdes, CA. And then, with Hartmarx, to Phoenix, Arizona. In a few years, sensing that Hartmarx management was fading into the sunset, a final retail adventure began. In 1988, Guy approached the manufacturer of St. Croix knitwear in Winona, Minnesota with the idea of starting two "boutique shops" in Scottsdale, AZ. and Las Vegas, Nevada. The shops would feature the beautifully knit and colorful sweaters made by St. Croix. Those two shops became the "cash cows" for many more shops across the United States. And then in 2000, back in Phoenix, the new retail adventures stopped. He and Diane both retired and moved to The Grand Retirement Community in Surprise, AZ. for the next 25 Years of his life. Many of these years held a lot of his first loves: cars, automobiles, hot rods.and lots of car rallies around the country!! So, here we are at the end of Guy's road, leaving a wife and child enriched by having Guy by their side these 62 years, but wishing there were more yet to come. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Guy, please visit our Tree Store.