Craig William Scheu

Longtime Mishawaka teacher and coach, Craig Scheu peacefully passed away in his home on Tuesday, November 4, after a very brief illness.
Craig was born in South Bend on December 27, 1949, to William and Lorraine (Wisniewski) Scheu. His father preceded him in death on February 8, 2025. The oldest of six children, Craig is survived by his five siblings and his mom, Lorraine. He grew up in South Bend and was a member of the John Adams High School Class of 1968, where he played basketball for Coach Don Barnbrook. He earned his Bachelors and Masters in Education degrees from Indiana University-South Bend.
On August 8, 1981, Craig married his perfect match, Susie Smith, who survives. During their forty-four wonderful years together, Craig and Susie lived each day to the fullest and did all the things they loved to do, which included taking lots of fun vacations. Whether it was with their friends or just the two of them, Craig and Susie could hardly wait for their yearly trips to Florida. In October 2022, they finally fulfilled their dream of being official snowbirds by finding the perfect home and spending their winters in Fort Myers.
Craig is also survived by his brothers Bill (Marilyn) and Tim (Deborah) and sisters Susan Forrest (Michael), Janet Swain, and Karen Arndt (John). He was predeceased by Susie's parents Bob and Margie Smith and her brother Al Smith. He is survived by Susie's siblings, who all loved Craig as their brother.
In the summer of 1980, Susie's younger sisters, Nancy and Betsy, were eager to set their big sister up with just the right guy, and they knew exactly who that guy was and had a plan to make it happen. They persuaded Susie to take them to the Blueberry Festival and watch their math teacher Mr. Scheu play softball, and she agreed. In the evening, the girls invited him to join them for fireworks, and the rest is history. Craig loved to joke that he would never forgive the sisters for their matchmaking, but everyone has always known that Susie was the love of his life.
"Uncle Craig", "Uncle Buddy" and "U. C." will be lovingly remembered by his seventy nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews (with two more coming very soon.) He loved all the kids so very much. Five of them predeceased Craig–Matthew Arndt, Eryn Dow, Emily Margaret Smith, Roger and Guy Martin. Also left to cherish memories of Craig are many dear cousins, longtime friends and their families.
Although Craig is no longer with us, his legacy as an exceptional teacher lives on. Even today, most former students who were lucky enough to walk into his math class would say that "Mr. Scheu" was the best they ever had, and he was definitely the favorite of so many! He began his teaching career at Beiger Junior High School in 1973, teaching general math, pre-algebra, and algebra for a decade. In 1984, Craig moved on to Mishawaka High School and taught algebra and pre-calculus. He remained at MHS until his retirement in 2008.
Craig may be even better known as "Coach Scheu" to hundreds of athletes at both Beiger and MHS, where he coached girls volleyball, boys baseball, basketball, and golf. His players loved and respected him for decades after he had been their coach. He quietly taught them more than just the game they played; he taught lessons that would last a lifetime. He instilled in them the importance of having strong character, being dedicated, committed teammates and leaders. Long after his students and players graduated from MHS, Craig always enjoyed seeing and catching up with them, sharing countless stories and fantastic memories.
Craig was an avid golfer, willing to play anytime or at any course. His "home course" was Juday Creek, where he lived, played, and worked for many years. Golfers loved seeing Craig in the clubhouse because they knew he would take the time to have a great conversation and maybe give a few golfing tips.
Visitation for Craig will be held on Tuesday, November 11 at Hahn Funeral Home, Mishawaka. Susie and Craig's family will greet all who wish to attend from 3-5pm. A memorial and Celebration of Life will follow the visitation at 5:30pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either Center for Hospice, 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545 or the Smith Scholarship for Science and Nursing through the Mishawaka HS Scholarship Foundation, 1202 Lincolnway East, Mishawaka, IN 46544.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Craig William Scheu, please visit our floral store.