Craig William Warner, Sr.

CRAIG WILLIAM WARNER SR.
JAN. 25, 1964 – JAN. 10, 2020

KISS, the Dallas Cowboys and the Iowa Hawkeyes all lost one of their greatest fans on January 10, 2020. Craig William Warner Sr. lost his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in the early morning hours while residing at Genesis Senior Living Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Craig was born on January 25, 1964 in Knoxville, Iowa to William and Deloris Warner of Dallas, Iowa. As a teen, Craig enjoyed small town Iowa life – attending ball games, riding his bike and hanging out with his high school friends. To see Craig walking down the sidewalk with his “boom box” balanced on his shoulder while one of his favorite rock bands blasted through the speakers was a common site. He also enjoyed fishing at Jenkin’s pond and at White Breast Creek whenever he had the opportunity. Craig was immersed into Christian baptism as a teen and was a member of the Dallas Christian Church.

Craig moved to Des Moines in 1984. It was there he met and married his wife, Mary Gladwin, on June 14, 1987. His life became richer upon the birth of their daughter, Marilyn and son, Craig Jr. Hard work was not a stranger to Craig as he worked the majority of his life doing factory/warehouse work. He worked for many years at the Coca-Cola plant scheduling and loading trucks. He then worked for the packing plant on Maury for over 15 years, while it was under the management of Iowa Packing and later as Pine Ridge Farms.

Craig had a fierce love and devotion for his family and friends. If any of them needed anything, he would attempt to move heaven and earth to provide it for them. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed camping and fishing whenever he had the chance. Each year he and his wife looked forward to attending the Iowa State Fair, spending the day on the Midway and evenings in the Grand Stands. In addition, once he was blessed with grandchildren, he resumed his child-like spirit while sharing the various rides and activities Adventureland had to offer each summer.

In the summer of 2017, Craig began experiencing difficulties walking and then use of his hands. After months of testing, he was diagnosed with ALS. Once he realized his time on earth was limited, he created his own “bucket list”. Through the love and support of family and friends, he was successful in marking two of them off his list – attending an Iowa Hawkeye football game and seeing KISS in concert during their 2019 Final Tour at Wells Fargo. Not only did he get to enjoy the KISS concert, he also met all the band members backstage and was interviewed by a local station about his unexpected band encounter. Although his physical condition continued to deteriorate over the months, his love for family, friends, his music and teams never diminished. One of his final wishes was for everyone to “just be happy”.

Thomas Campbell once wrote, “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” If this is true, then Craig William Warner Sr. will live forever through the cherished memories of family and friends.

Craig was preceded in death by his father, William Warner, and mother, Deloris (Burgett) Warner. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Mary Warner; daughter, Marilyn and husband, Albert Baker of Des Moines and their children, Hunter and Paul, and step-children Austin, Albert Jr. and Haley Baker; son, Craig Jr. and wife, Rebekah of Des Moines and their son, Zach, of Carlisle; brother, Dennis and wife, Debbie of Vandalia, IL; sister, Garlynn and husband, David Imel of Osceola, IA; sister, Brenda and husband John Casper of Pella, IA; many nieces, nephews, friends, and co-workers. He will also be missed by his beloved dogs, Piper and Midnight.

Visitation will be Tuesday, January 14 from 6-8 p.m. at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon St. Des Moines, IA. Funeral services will also be at Hamilton’s on Wednesday, January 15 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be held at Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3601 E. Court Ave. Des Moines, IA immediately following funeral services. Memorials may be made out to the family.

Condolences may be expressed at: www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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