Charles Craft

We say farewell to Charles Craft. October 3, 1930 - July 7, 2022. Known to all his friends and family as "Bud" he was a loving family man who worked tirelessly to care for his wife and sons.

Born in Pecos, TX in October 1930, his father, Albert, and mother Geneva, moved a good deal following work. Spending his childhood in Austin and San Antonio TX, they later ended up in Santa Fe, NM where Bud attended high school before quitting to start a full-time job. When the Korean War was in full swing Bud joined the US Navy for a four-year tour where he finished his education. He had many humorous and hair-raising stories to tell about that time, ranging from San Diego to Japan, Hong Kong, and the shores of Korea.

After his tour of duty Bud started working for Rainbo Bakery in Albuquerque where he quickly became a chief engineer using the skills he acquired in the Navy. As fate would have it, he was transferred to Lubbock, TX in 1964 where he would meet, Eudora Gipson in 1965. They were married in 1966 and he was later transferred back to Albuquerque in 1971 where they began raising a family. He and Eudora had three sons, Randall, Darren, and Kevin Craft.

Around 1978 Bud retired from the commercial bakery business and moved the family to Ruidoso, where he worked for Ruidoso Public Schools as a maintenance supervisor and enjoyed his lifelong passion of building custom cars. He and Eudora spent the rest of their lives in Ruidoso. He is survived by his sons, daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren.