Craig Dion Stone

He was born in East St. Louis, Illinois on September 22, 1958 to Bob and Bettye Stone. He was married to Karen Crusberg Stone for 24 happy years.

Craig graduated from Waltrip High School in Houston in 1977 where he was a leader and lettered in track, was a member of student council, and wrote for the school newspaper. He went on to attend South West Texas State and graduated with a BBA in 1980.

In March 2009, Craig joined Alvarez & Marsal, first as a Senior Director, and then as a Managing Director. Over the years he traveled throughout the world, consulting with many domestic and international financial organizations guiding them in their compliance and regulatory issues. Prior to his consulting career, Craig had a long, illustrious career with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) that began right out of college in 1981. He was a commissioned national bank examiner and a national trust examiner. In 1995, Craig joined the Office of the Ombudsman as an Assistant Ombudsman. He was promoted to Deputy Ombudsman in Houston, Texas. As Deputy Ombudsman, he was the executive that re-engineered and led the OCC’s Customer Assistance Group.

Craig was a proud Texan and loved its rich, diverse heritage. As such, he enjoyed collecting vintage Texas maps, Republic of Texas currency, and any item that gave a glimpse into the life and times of Texas past. He loved travel, fine wines and whiskeys, great food, and a mellow cigar. He loved to garden and spent many “therapeutic” hours in his flower beds and lawn. He loved Jimmy Buffet, the Astros, and Las Vegas (although the losing part not so much)! And last, but not least, he loved his trusty canine sidekicks, Mattie (RIP) and Luna. They were his buddies, and if he could have, he would have taken them everywhere he went. Craig enjoyed life to the fullest and lived his with a sense of fun, kindness and adventure that was certainly infectious to those blessed to spend time in his company.

Craig is survived by his wife, Karen; his two daughters, Sarah M. Stone of San Antonio, Texas and Kelsey C. McKenzie of Richmond, Texas; his two granddaughters, Naomi “Baby Clare” McKenzie, and Evelyn James “Evie” McKenzie, who was born on December 27, 2021. He is also survived by his parents Bobby Dean Stone of La Grange, Texas and Bettye Yates Stone of Leander, Texas; his two younger brothers Todd Stone of Cedar Park, Texas and Kent Stone of Colleyville, Texas, as well as a myriad of nephews and nieces in Texas, Michigan, Virginia, Alaska, and Florida.

A commemoration service celebrating Craig’s life will be held on February 12, 2021, at 2pm at the Settegast-Kopf funeral home in Sugar Land, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Heart Association or the Houston SPCA in Craig’s name.