Craig E. Gifford

1948 - 2008

Craig E. Gifford passed away Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008, in Grapevine.
Funeral: Please join Craig's family and friends in celebrating his life. Please wear something bright in color, and not black. We will all have a good time. The service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Bedford Baptist Temple, 2403 Bedford Road, Bedford. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 5725 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to Bedford Baptist Temple, 2403 Bedford Road, Bedford Texas 76021.
Craig was born Dec. 16, 1948, in Waterloo, Iowa. He was a wonderful man. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, graduated from Richardson High School and the University of Texas at Arlington and received his master's degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He worked with the Department of Defense and as a sales engineer. Craig had a smile that drew people in. He was one of those people you met and knew he was sincere. When people met Craig, he was so approachable in conversation you felt like you had known him all your life. He was one of those incredibly rare people who could be your best friend right after meeting him. The number of people Craig influenced and became friends with is vast. Each one of Craig's friends has expressed what a loss it is to the world that he is not here anymore. They are encouraged by the opportunity to know his children.
As a son, Craig was unique. He was the middle son: Janet, his big sister, and Rex, his little brother. Being a middle child was fun for Craig. With his guiding and loving parents, Craig was reared with Christian morals and values. He excelled in math and problem solving, and loved to tease others. He tickled his siblings relentlessly. Laughter was part of Craig's life growing up. He had a determination that led him to great things.
One night at a party Craig threw, he met a beautiful brunette. That one meeting with her changed his life forever. She was a challenge to pursue. It was almost a year before he was able to get back in touch with her, and he knew he had to make this beautiful brunette his wife. They married, and together Craig and Laurie shared a wonderful marriage. He took this girl (who had never left the state of Texas) and moved her to Ohio right after the wedding. Marrying Craig changed Laurie's life forever. Craig was her other half. In Ohio they were 1,000 miles away from family and had to rely on one another. While in Ohio, their first son, Christopher, was born. Laurie was in the hospital for almost a month and Craig stayed by her side until she and Christopher came home. Becoming a dad was second nature for Craig. He liked being a dad so much that within the next seven years, he and Laurie had two more children, James and Michele. As a young family of five in 1989, they moved from Ohio to Grapevine, where Craig pursued his dreams of being a family man.
There were always challenges and achievements in the family. There were soccer games, band competitions, art shows, color guard competitions and Friday night football games. Did somebody say football? When James and Michele were in high school at Colleyville Heritage High School and involved in marching band, Craig was in football heaven. In the 1990s, Craig smiled from ear to ear when the Cowboys won numerous Super Bowls; he watched every game even if it was broadcasted in Spanish. In 2004, Michele graduated from high school, but this did not stop Craig and Laurie from going to CHHS football games. Craig also loved the sport of baseball. He and his wife were Texas Rangers season ticket holders for the past nine years. Winning or losing, he loved the Rangers, and loved going to the games with his wife, Laurie.
The last couple of years for Craig were the most diverse. His baby girl met the love of her life, Justin Bowman. Craig took Justin in like one of his boys, and they became good friends. Michele and Justin will be getting married in the summer of 2009. Craig’s sons, James and Chris, both have their own businesses: James with his own pool cleaning business called Crystal Pool Management and Chris has his own video post production company called Brown Lab Media. Craig smiled the day his granddaughter, Madeline, was born Dec. 31, 2006. She is now 21 months old and recently started talking. Craig was the first grandparent to be named by her. She called him "Poppie." Every time he would speak with Christopher on the phone, he would say, "Give that baby girl a hug and kiss for me." Craig lived too far from his granddaughter, a whole 5 minutes away by car. He would have liked to have her with him every day for stories and nap time, and when he did she would fall asleep on his tummy, and lay there for hours, and he would let her sleep.
Here is a poem written by Michele, Craig's only daughter:
"I love my Daddy with ALL my heart
I miss him so much I want to fall apart
But I believe in the Lord and heaven above
That's where my Daddy is now looking down
He has no more pain
He told me himself he wasn't afraid
Because I quote what he said,
'I love the Lord with ALL my heart.'
I told him I know and I do too
Told him I will sure miss him until I see him again
I'm Daddy's little girl
That NEVER will change
Because he has a place in my heart no one else can fill
That will always be there filled with all the memories we shared
From his piggyback rides to watching me at football games
To Christmas time and birthdays of mine
I love all my memories with my Daddy and
God gave them to me to never forget
I'll always love you, Daddy!"

Craig will not be forgotten. He was a wonderful son, friend, husband, dad and Poppie. He will live on in all of us who know him, and one day we will see him again in heaven laughing and having a good time, and welcoming us all with arms wide open.
Survivors: His loving wife, Laurie DeViney Gifford; sons, Christopher E. Gifford and his wife, Heidi, and James E. Gifford; daughter, Michele E. Gifford and her fiance, Justin Bowman; granddaughter, Madeline L. Gifford; parents, Wayne and Phyllis Gifford; sister, Janet Ebey and her husband, John Ebey; brother, Rex Gifford and his wife, Pamela; and numerous nieces and nephews.