David Craddock

KEWANEE - David E. Craddock DDS, 50, of Kewanee passed away at 4:45 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2013, at his home.

Cremation has been accorded, and a memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 31, at the First United Methodist Church in Kewanee. Rev. Paul Copeland will officiate. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at Rux Funeral Home in Kewanee. A service hosted by the Flying Dentist Association will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the Kewanee Airport.

Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society; First United Methodist Church in Kewanee; or to the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria.

He was born on April 7, 1963, in Kewanee, the son of Roger E. and Elizabeth D. (Pegram) Craddock. He married Angelyn Sue Noder on Nov. 28, 1992, in Kewanee.

She survives, as do his parents of Kewanee; two sons, Roger Garren Craddock and Benjamin David Craddock, both of Kewanee; two sisters, Mary (Paul) Stevens of Los Alamitos, Calif., and their child, Erin, and Susan (Hans) Younce of Los Banos, Calif., and their children, Katie and Kelly; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Larry (Cheryl) Noder of Bradford; sister-in-law, Kristen Noder and her children, Conor, Keegan and Caleb Mooney; and brothers-in-law, Jeremy (Jenny) Noder and their children, Michaela and Miranda, and Corey (Courtenay) Noder and their children, Dylan and Aaron.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents.

Dave graduated from Kewanee High School in 1981 and attended the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. He was accepted to dental school at Northwestern University in Chicago after only three years of undergraduate studies, graduating in 1988.

He was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Indian Health Service, serving on the Navajo Reservation in Chinle, Ariz., until moving back to Kewanee in 1989 to eventually partner with Dr. Doug Tomlinson from 1989 to 2005 and later AppleWhite Dental Partners and Dr. Allison Kisner.

He served the Kewanee and surrounding areas with care and compassion. Dave was constantly striving to better his dental skills and techniques over his 25 year career, providing his patients with the highest quality of care. He truly enjoyed and took great pride in his work. He loved his staff and patients.

Dave had a passion for flying, having been a pilot since 1990, earning his instrument rating in 1993 and having a float plane rating, as well. He owned several different planes and set a world speed record in his Mooney Acclaim Type S from Minneapolis to New Orleans, averaging 411 m.p.h. during the two-hours-and-forty-three-minute trip. He was a member of the Flying Dentists Association and served as its president from 2010-11.

Dave's other interests included scuba diving, skiing and especially spending time with his family and friends. This obituary may be viewed and private condolences left at www.ruxfuneralhome.com.