Douglas Joseph Kraft

Douglas Joseph Kraft, born December 3, 1957, passed away on January 17, 2026 at the age of 68. He is lovingly remembered and survived by his wife of 40 years, Marlisa (Marcy) Allinder Kraft. Doug and Marcy's journey began in high school when their families moved to Westerville, where they found each other. Doug graduated from Westerville High School in 1976.

Doug leaves behind his cherished daughters, Mallory (Wes) Serafin and Rachel (Chris) Brooks. He was a devoted "Poppy" to his grandson, Bennett Brooks, always attending his school and sporting events to support him.

He is also survived by his brothers David (Debbie) Kraft of South Carolina and twin brother John (Kim) Kraft of South Carolina. His nieces and nephews, Amanda Nesbit, Elizabeth (Brad) Comer, Ryan (Allana) Kraft, Kyle (Danielle) Kraft, and Michael (Sabrina) Kraft, as well as several great-nieces and nephews, and his father-in-law, Everett Allinder of Florida, also survive him.

Doug is preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Elsie Kraft, and his mother-in-law, Shirley Allinder. One of Doug’s passions included attending car shows with his brothers and friends. His brother Robert (Bob) Kraft and long-time friend James (Jim) Puchan passed alongside Doug in this tragic event, after attending the Mecum car show and auction in Kissimmee, Florida. The Kraft brothers and friends had the time of their lives those last few days, according to Doug's twin brother, John Kraft, and oldest brother, Dave Kraft, who were also in town for the show.

Doug recently retired in 2024 after a fulfilling career in logistics and supply chain management. He began his professional journey at Anchor Hocking, then moved on to work at Victoria's Secret stores and distribution center. His career also included positions at Mac Tools and a nearly 20 year tenure with Elder-Beerman (BonTon). Doug also worked at Fanatics before retiring from AC Lens in 2024. He took pride in mentoring those he worked with, always considering their individual and professional goals and advancement. Doug was always approachable and supportive to his colleagues.

Known for his kindness and warmth, Doug was the family handyman and mechanic, always ready to lend a helping hand. Although he was skilled at fixing things, Doug loved teaching the kids how to do repairs themselves. He wanted the girls, Wes, and Chris to know the ins and outs of home and car maintenance and often joked about starting his own YouTube repair channel. He was regarded as entertaining and a great friend by all who met him. Doug loved sharing stories of his childhood, his college days at Bowling Green State University, and cherished memories with his brothers and family.

Doug and Marcy loved to travel and often enjoyed weekend getaways to wineries in the Midwest, where they delighted in listening to live music. They cherished spending time in Vero Beach, Florida with Everett, where Doug enjoyed tackling the many chores on Everett’s list.

Doug was an avid Ohio State and Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He was always down for any adventure, especially when it involved the outdoors, live music, food, wine, and his favorite people.

On weekends when Doug wasn't occupied with other events, he could be found tinkering with his cars and doing yard work, including helping Marcy with her massive flower and vegetable gardens in the summers. After a hard day’s work, he enjoyed relaxing on the deck with Marcy, drinking wine, and listening to music. In the evenings you'd find Doug with a cat in his lap, a glass of wine in hand, watching shows with Marcy, and winding down from the day.

Doug cherished the annual family trips to Hocking Hills in recent years, where he loved having the family all together at a beautiful cabin and hiking with the kids - including Bennett’s first time joining the crew to hike on this past year’s trip. He enjoyed the fabulous cabin meals lovingly planned and prepared by the family and loved spending the evenings around a campfire, reminiscing, playing games, and watching movies together. The many family vacations to Vero Beach and cruises to the Caribbean, as well as a trip to Germany, Spain, Italy, and France with Marcy in 2014, were also treasured events in Doug’s life. Doug and Marcy were making plans to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary with a trip to Greece this fall.

Doug's memory will be treasured by all who knew him, for he was a loving husband, father, Poppy, brother, uncle, and friend.

The family will receive visitors on Sunday, February 15, 2026 from 2-5 pm, with a Celebration of Life on Monday, February 16, 2026 at 10 am, at Schoedinger Dublin, 5980 Perimeter Dr., Dublin, OH 43017. Following the Celebration of Life, the immediate family will enjoy private time with each other.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Doug Kraft Family GoFundMe campaign.