Stephen Warren Craig

March 23, 1957 - December 31, 2023

Following his sudden and unexpected death, Stephen (Steve) was welcomed into Heaven on December 31st by mother, Zona Dockery Craig, father, James Craig, and younger brother, Alan Craig, as well as many other relatives. He is survived by sister, Diane Craig Emrick and her husband, Mark of Moore, OK; nephew, Ryan Emrick and wife, Kelli, of Andover, KS and their sons, Logan and Chase; wife, Mae Craig, of Oklahoma City; step-daughter, Mylke Rogers and husband, Paul of Midwest City and their daughter, Callia, to whom Steve was lovingly known as Grandpa Steve; daughter, Brandy Brock, from a previous marriage, who lives in Broken Arrow. Steve is also survived by a host of cousins in Eastern Tennessee and Ohio.

Steve, the middle child of James and Zona, was born in Paducah, Kentucky on March 23, 1957. The Craig family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1960, when Steve was three. In 1968, the family moved to Muskogee, OK, where Steve graduated from Muskogee High in 1975.

Steve had a natural ability for repairing mechanical things, such as lawn mower motors, swimming pool pumps and cars. He would attempt to fix anything that was not working correctly and usually succeeded.

In 1985, he moved to Oklahoma City to live with his sister, Diane and helped with all of her household and lawn care chores. In 1992, he went to work for Goodwill Industries, where he met Mae Sutherland. Steve and Mae married in 1996 and later moved into their first condo. He was a father figure to his then six-year-old step-daughter, Mylke. Steve worked in various maintenance and custodial jobs and was always working to keep things running in the condo complex for his family and occasionally, neighbors.

Due to health challenges, Steve moved in with Diane and Mark in 2018, and then moved to the Center of Family Love (CFL) in Okarche in September, 2022. He loved being with the other CFL residents and staff and enjoyed participating in their numerous center activities. On-campus activities included Art Barn, where residents had fun doing things such as pottery and painting; S.T.E.M. (Science, Technical, Electrical and Mechanical), which Steve especially enjoyed, various field trips, such as swimming, bowling, and fun cookouts (he sure loved his cheeseburgers). In February 2023, the residents of CFL attended the Tim Tebow Foundation Night to Shine. This event is an unforgettable prom night experience for adults with special needs. He had a wonderful evening, thanks to the staff of CFL.

Steve enjoyed sports and was a fan of the Tennessee Vols, OU Sooners and OKC Thunder. Much to the chagrin of his sister, he sometimes even rooted for OSU. After the 2023 Bedlam game, he came to breakfast wearing an OU cap and OSU shirt just to agitate Mark and Diane. When cousins from Tennessee visited before Christmas, he greeted them wearing a Vols cap and OU shirt.

Since birth, Steve had many challenges and hardships. His life was defined by his innate ability to cope with whatever life threw at him. He was funny, kind and loved animals, especially his dog Smokey.

The family extends their sincere gratitude to all who cared for Steve at the Center of Family Love, making his last year very comfortable and rewarding.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 8th, 2024, at:

Vondel L. Smith Mortuary South Lakes

4000 S.W. 119th Street

Oklahoma City, OK 73173

As a tribute to Steve, attendees are encouraged to dress casually and wear their favorite sportswear to the service. Attendees are also invited to a short reception immediately following the service. For those wishing to attend, burial will be at Noon on Tuesday, January 9th at Memorial Park Cemetery, in Muskogee, OK.

In lieu of flowers, Steve's family suggests a donation to:

Center of Family Love

Memorial Fund Steve Craig

P. O. Box 245

Okarche, OK 73762