Diane Craft

Linda Diane Behrens Craft was born April 7, 1947, in Lubbock, Texas, to D.W. "Dub" Behrens and Ruby Paisley Behrens, their first child and the apple of her daddy's eye.  She passed into the arms of her Lord on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, in Lampasas, Texas.  She was nine days shy of her 75th birthday.

While Diane's daddy taught math and coached high school athletics at Crosbyton ISD, her mother made their home and nurtured their little blonde doll, Diane (Dianey-bug to her daddy).  As the family grew and Diane became a "big sister", her dad coached and taught in Llano ISD, Santa Anna ISD, and Coahoma ISD during Diane's elementary school years.  Diane love being "the coach's kid".  In 1958, the family returned to Dub's hometown of Mason, where Diane attended 5th grade through graduation in 1965 from Mason High School.  She was an excellent student and a proud officer of the Mason Puncher Band.  

After a semester at Abilene Christian College, Diane transferred to Texas Tech University in Lubbock.  While there, she met her future husband, Allen Craft, a fellow Tech Red Raider and high school Ag teacher.  They were married in Mason on February 18, 1967, and settled into life in Plainview, Texas, where their first son, Cory Russell Craft, was born.  Diane and Allen later moved to his hometown of Lampasas, where daughter Stephanie Dawn Craft was born.  Allen returned to teaching in Rio Hondo, Texas where their third child, son Chad Allen Craft was born.  With the Texas Hill Country in their blood, Diane and Allen brought their young family back "home" to Lampasas where they have lived their lives enjoying ranching, family, and the love of the land.  Diane and Allen were members of the School Creek Baptist Church, whose members are a significant part of their community of friends.

While in both Lampasas and Rio Hondo, Diane loved to work as a middle school secretary.  Diane later worked as a Payroll Specialist for the Lampasas ISD, where she retired in 1999 due to health issues.  For the next 23 years, Diane suffered from a debilitating illness and was lovingly cared for by her devoted husband, Allen.

Diane was a voracious reader, almost always with a book in hand or nearby.  She was a quiet, private person, who enjoyed watching sports, especially major league baseball and the Texas Rangers.  In the 1980'-90's, she was often found at Lampasas ISD sports fields and gyms, selling tickets and watching her Lampasas Badgers teams compete.  As a young wife, she "struggled to boil water", but after years of practice, Diane became a wonderful country cook.  Her sweet potatoes were the hit of family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and her coconut chess pie was every bit as good as her mother's (and that is saying a lot).  In her last few years, she found great joy in accompanying Allen to their place in the country to check on the cows, each of whom she could name and identify.

Diane was preceded in death by her parents.  She is survived by her husband, Allen Dale Craft; children, Cory (Brandy) Craft of Lampasas; daughter, Stephanie (Cleve) Ryan of The Colony; son, Chad (Colette) Craft of Katy; sisters, Donna (Woody) McCasland of Horseshoe Bay, Debra (Jeff) Bailey of Austin.  Diane was beloved "Nana" to grandchildren, Colton (LeAnn) Craft, Kennedy Ryan, Grayson Ryan, Kayden Craft, Wrigley Craft, Bryce Craft, Dublyn Craft, Layne Craft, Bradley Magee, and Chelsea Magee, and also her great-grandchildren, Kembri Craft and Chett Craft, Colby Morgan, Bailey Andersen, Kanon Andersen; sister-in-law, Charlotte (Rodney) Myrick, and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held Sunday, April 3, 2022, at 3 pm in the Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel, 201 E. Third St., Lampasas, TX, with visitation from 2 pm until the service.  Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to Vasculitis Foundation, PO Box 28660, Kansas City, MO, 64188, www.vasculitisfoundation.org, or to the charity of your choice.