Craig Burton

1955 - 2022

George Craig Burton

May 20, 1955 ~ July 20, 2022

Haslet, TX - George Craig Burton was born on May 20th, 1955, the second of eight children, and grew up on Highland Drive in Holladay Utah. Although he traveled the world, he was much like a homing pigeon finding his way back to his roots.

In 1977 he married Leslie Root. Craig and Leslie had four children. Though their marriage ended in 1988, he remained a devoted father. Craig found creative ways to connect with his children and later, grandchildren. A few examples of the continuous fun are kite flying, treasure hunts, puppet shows, lake trips, video and card games, gifts, stories, and making music. Craig married Judith Clarke in August 1989 and they had years of adventure together until her death in January 2012.

As one of the founders of Novell in 1981, Craig guided the company's rise to a dominant market position. Craig named and positioned Netware, the company's anchor product. In 1989 Craig co-founded The Burton Group, a leader in redefining networking services. He later founded a consulting practice, Burtonian, where he specialized in digital identity and corporate IT strategy. From 2017-2019 Craig became the Chief Strategy Officer for ZimGo and BPU Holdings in Seoul Korea where he collaborated with experts in the research of Artificial Emotional Intelligence. Craig worked with his team to bring AEI to light through his influence in the analyst world, as well as working with the National Science Foundation and the University of Arizona. Returning to the Utah in 2020 Craig worked on projects for BYU Provo.

Craig had a larger than life presence and a passion not only for technology, but for music, art, and food. He would seek out the best recipes and dishes to cook, appreciating quality dining. He loved playing the guitar and listening to quality music. Art became more important to him as he discovered his love for sketching, watercolors, graphic art, and of course, computer animation and green screen special effects.

After forty-three years, Craig reconnected with his 1974 Cottonwood High School sweetheart Paula Hobson Bezzant and they were married in July 2017. Craig and Paula were sealed in the Seoul Korea Temple in December 2019.

Craig was diagnosed with lung cancer that metastasized to his brain and passed away on July 20th, 2022. Craig is survived by his wife, Paula Hobson Bezzant, daughters Patricia (Timothy) Boles, Taryn Burton, and Natalie (Richard) Trowbridge, many that called him "Grandpa Craig," and sisters Julie Pierce, Elizabeth Matthews, Camille Smith, Kathy Castleton and Helen Macfarlane. His son, Alex Burton preceded him in death. No doubt they had a sweet reunion. Also preceding him in death his father LeR Burton, mother Mary Burton, sister Janene Burton, and brother Jared Burton.

Memorial Services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1750 Spring Lane, Holladay, UT on Wednesday, July 27th, 2022. Visitation will be at 10:00 am and the Service will follow at 11:00 am.