Stuart Morrow Craft

Stuart Craft, age 73, of Dallas, TX, passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 25th after many years of living with Parkinson’s Disease. He was born in April 1949 in Shreveport, Louisiana. His love of motorcycles and sports cars began at a young age, when he and his boyhood friends strapped the engine of a lawnmower onto a bicycle and zoomed down the street in a stunt that he would later (reluctantly) admit was probably not that safe, even though it sure was fun. As an adult, Stuart loved Harley-Davidson motorcycles and even took his daughter to the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. He also worked the annual Republic of Texas (ROT) Rally down in Austin for several summers, where he made good friends and kept everyone laughing. He attended W.T. White High School in Dallas, TX, where many of his classmates remember him fondly, and went on to run his own commercial landscaping company, S. Craft Foliage, for almost thirty years. Stuart never met a stranger. He was funny and outgoing, and charmed everyone he encountered with his infectious smile and teasing humor. He always knew all of his neighbors and in later years, when Parkinson’s made it hard for him to walk, he rode his recumbent bicycle around the neighborhood, parking in people’s driveways to shoot the breeze and check in on their home maintenance projects. He loved nothing better than to tackle his neverending to do list of yard work and home projects. He enjoyed roping friends and neighbors into helping him out, especially at his ranch outside of Dallas where he would organize a hard day’s work followed up by shooting at his homemade gun range, grilling something for dinner, and having a cold beer. He also loved golfing, hunting, watching Cowboys games, and just generally being active. In a single, 24 hour period of visiting his daughter in her just-bought house in Austin, he helped her clear her creekline of brush and saplings, installed a ceiling fan, cleaned out her entire shed, and replaced her lightbulbs. And that was after living with Parkinson’s for several years. He was also a legendary penny-pincher who taught his daughter the important lesson that, “If you order something at Luby’s, you have to eat all of it.” Despite earning the nickname “Scrooge” from his motorcycle club, he always knew how to have a good time and enjoy life. This became more difficult as his Parkinson’s progressed, but even at the very end of his life he could always find a few minutes of happiness with a Braum’s vanilla milkshake. He will be sorely missed. Stuart is survived by his daughter, Katherine Craft and spouse Dan Solomon, and cousin Ray Berry and wife Cindy Berry, and their children. He was preceded in death by his parents Allen and Madeline Craft. The memorial service will be on Thursday, April 27th at 11 am in the sanctuary at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX with reception to follow in Jubilee Hall. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Parkinson’s Voice Project, https://parkinsonvoiceproject.org/donate/.

Stuart Morrow Craft

April 29, 1949 - March 25, 2023