In Memory

Craig Cleveland - Class Of 1968

Craig Dana Cleveland, 64, departed for his heavenly home on July 22, 2015, after a valiant battle with cancer. His devotion to his family and his firm belief in God supported him in his struggle and ultimately gave him peace.

 

Craig was born to Scott and Berniece Cleveland in Grants Pass, Oregon, on March 21, 1951. He was active in the Boys Scouts of America and earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Azalea, OR, where he was raised. He also participated in numerous sports, including football, basketball, and wrestling. Craig graduated as valedictorian of his high school class in 1969 and was appointed to the Air Force Academy, where he graduated in 1973 with a degree in geography. He served in the Air Force from 1973 to 1979, flying C-130s in Texas, Europe, and the Far East. He then achieved his dream of flying commercial airplanes as a co-pilot and captain for Delta Airlines. After retiring in 2005, Craig pursued a second career as an electrician and worked for Apple Electrical in Odessa for a time.

 

Craig was blessed with a loving family. He met speech therapist Janice Sue Corley while based at Dyess Air Force Base, and they married on August 14, 1976, in Odessa. The Clevelands raised their three daughters in Odessa and Weatherford, TX, and Craig was always a devoted, loving, and patient father willing to do anything for his girls. Craig and Jan moved to Bryan, TX, in the fall of 2014 to be close to their daughters and grandchildren. He is dearly missed by his loved ones, who celebrate the fact that he is at peace with his Creator.

 

Craig is survived by his wife, Jan; his daughters and their husbands, Paige and Joe Perez of Bryan, Amelia and Daniel Senneff of Houston, and Erin and James Ray of Houston; his grandchildren, Alana and Flossie Perez, and Jude, Luke, and Juliana Senneff; his parents, Scott and Berniece, of Azalea, OR; his brothers and their wives, Stephen of Goodyear, AZ, Jeff and Pam of Hillsboro, OR, Randy and SuAnne of Ashland, OR, and Phil and Melanie of Amarillo, TX; sister-and brother-in-law, Pamela and Richard Hoffman of Odessa; and numerous nieces and nephews. Special thanks and love are extended to his niece, Courtney Barner of Odessa, who employed her expertise as a nurse to ensure his care and comfort to the very end.