Ronell “Ronnie” Craig June 3, 1945 - February 3, 2024

Dorothy Ronell “Ronnie” Best Craig was born June 3, 1945, in San Diego, California to Ronald and Ruth Best where she lived for over 60 years. She was the second oldest of 6 children. She spent her last years in Santaquin, Utah enjoying the beautiful scenery, nature, and fresh air. She passed away on February 3, 2024, at her home in Santaquin, Utah surrounded by loved ones.

Ronell was preceded in death by her parents Ronald and Ruth Best of San Diego California, and her brother Lawrence Best of Utah. She is survived by her siblings Anna Lynne Holsclaw of Northern California, Eileen Best, Paul Best, and Greg Best, all of San Diego, California; her loving husband of 32 years, Jeffrey Craig of Santaquin, Utah; her daughter Lisa R. Wall and husband Bryan, and their children Courtney, Scott, and Tyson; daughter Callie R. Escobedo and husband Tony and their children Anthony, Gracie, and Abby; daughter Marnie E. Rogers; daughter Annjanelle Towns and her son Tristan; stepdaughter Sarrah Craig and her two children, Rainy and Mimi; stepdaughter Mary Olsen and husband Gerald and their children, Andrew, Charlie, Rachel, Emma, and Lydia; stepson Jared Craig and his wife Lulu and their children, Arya, Mia, and Miranda; stepson Jon Craig and his children, Justice, Bristol, and River; stepson Adam Craig and his children, Ayden, Abel, and Waylon. She also leaves behind several nieces, nephews, and many dear friends.

She was a devoted lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She loved her church dearly and served diligently, with pride and joy. Her calling in church was usually related to music somehow. Most often leading the music in sacrament meeting. Ronell had a tender spirit and was amazing with children. She worked with the San Diego Unified School District for 25 years with pre-school children at the Dewey Child Development Center and fourth grade at Alice Birney Elementary. Ronell raised her 4 daughters in San Diego, California. Her strength and grit carried over into the lives of her daughters giving them the same determination to face life’s challenges.

She met her husband Jeff Craig in a Single’s ward through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the early 1990s and knew they were meant to be together. They will one day be together again because they were sealed in the temple for time and eternity.

Ronell had a tremendously gifted ear and love for music. This had a positive impact on her entire family. She had deep insight and appreciation for all types of music ranging from classical to country. Her face absolutely lit up when she heard a beautiful “score”. She would often sit in a theater after a movie ended and wait for the credits to end and the music to finish playing to hear the entire soundtrack. She shared her love for theater and music with her grandchildren and sparked their interest at an extremely young age. One of her favorite past time activities was to create music tapes for her children and then later for her grandchildren to listen to at bedtime. She found joy in this creative outlet and the tapes were played over and over again. She was gifted in cooking meals from scratch and baking cakes for her daughters’ birthdays, which also included incorporating her artwork into one-of-a-kind cakes. She was also skilled at knitting blankets and carefully chose the colors and yarn to create as special gifts to those she loved.

She loved horses and would often reflect on a summer in her teen years that she was given the opportunity to live on a farm. She also enjoyed drawing and painting, plants and nature, and baking. A favorite memory was to watch her sprout and plant avocado seeds and aloe vera plants.

She leaves behind a legacy of unwavering faith in Jesus and the value of family. She will be missed beyond measure.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 350 West 860 North in Santaquin, Utah. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the church. There will also be visitation on Thursday, February 8, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 587 South 100 West, Payson, Utah. Interment will be in Santaquin City Cemetery, 100 East 300 South, Santaquin, Utah.