Richard "Dale" Craighead

Richard “Dale” Craighead (88), of Independence, MO, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on May 15, 2023. Dale was the first born to the late George Elton Craighead and Minnie Louis (Schmidt) Craighead, in Mokane, MO, on July 11, 1934. He graduated from High School in Boonville, MO. Dale served in the Navy during the Korean war. Following his time in the service, he returned to Boonville, where he met and married Lois Jean Korte, and they were married for 65 plus years. Dale worked for A&P Grocery stores, where he worked into management, managing stores in Lexington, Odessa, Richmond, and Chillicothe, MO. Following the closure of A&P Grocery stores in the mid-west, Dale owned and operated a meat locker and processing plant in Norborne, MO. Dale and his wife moved to Kansas City later to be near their children, and worked in a grocery store as the meat department manager until his retirement. He loved to travel, fish, hunt, all sports and spend time, with family and friends. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Odessa, MO.

Dale is survived by his wife Lois of the home, daughter Cheryl and husband Dennis Burnam of Kansas City, KS, and son Richard “Rick” Craighead and wife Anita of Thousand Oaks, CA. Three grandchildren, Lindsay (Andy) Denzer of Parrish, FL, Devon (Alex) Hummel of Lenexa, KS, Jesse Craighead of Central Point, OR, and five great-grandchildren (Aubrey Denzer, Juliette Denzer, Penelope Denzer, Christian Hummel and Adeline Hummel. He is also survived by his sister, Wanda Williamson of Boonville, MO.

A visitation will be held from 1-2pm, followed by a celebration of life service at Speaks Funeral Home in Independence, MO on Friday, May 19, 2023.

At the family request, in lieu of flowers donations can be made to the First Baptist Church of Odessa, MO or St. Jude Children’s Foundation.

"God saw he was getting tired
And a cure was not to be.
So he put his arms around him
And whispered, “Come with me.”
With tear-filled eyes we watched him
Suffer and fade away.
Although we loved him deeply,
We could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard-working hands put to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best."