Craig King

Craig Hunter King

November 10, 1964 to August 31, 2021

Craig was preceded in death by father, Steven; aunt, Judy Haroldson; in laws, Dayton and Pat Cherrier (he was their fan club president); nephew, Justin Cherrier; and niece, Melanie White. He is deeply loved by his survivors, wife, Jeannie Cherrier; mother, Jerry King; brother, Brian (Jennel) King; uncle, Sam Haroldson; cousins, Peggy (Chris) Benson, David (Doreen) Haroldson, and their families; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins on the King and Spash side of the family; numerous in-laws, Tom Cherrier, Gerald (Susie) Cherrier, Diane Schantz, Mary (John) Gronquist, Janice (Rich) White, Joe (Lynn) Cherrier, and Michael Cherrier.

Craig’s many nieces and nephews brought him supreme joy. He touched their lives with his immeasurable wit and sense of adventure, i.e., Scary Steps of Scary, Chuck Norris Trail, and Augustus Gustaf Gustafson, to name a few. The grand-niece and nephews were a constant source of amusement, mixed with the pain of overzealous knees to the groin when greeting him. He had a wonderful blended family, and he loved everyone, and the love was reciprocated.

He was a member of The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and was an employee of Xcel Energy for over 30 years. He was aptly nicknamed Spare Parts by his fellow employees.

He chose not to have an “f’n memorial.” He will be cremated, and requests his ashes be spread at the Long Lake cabin and another secret location.

Heartfelt thanks to his friends, Rich Boctor, and Tom Klein who sponsored a celebration of Craig's life in May that was attended by many of his lifelong friends. Craig had a spectacular time catching up with everyone and he was part of the musical entertainment, strumming his guitar and belting out the lyrics (accompanied by his friends) to The Weight, rivaling The Band's rendition. *wink wink nod nod* It was a very happy day for him.

The entire Cherrier family celebrated Craig in June at Long Lake.  He played taxi driver in his little green golf cart, and a smile never left his face. Unfortunately, our "Long Live the King" chant fell on deaf ears.

Craig was a very standup man. He worked hard and played hard and led a modest but fun-filled life. He made everyone around him laugh with a twinkle in his beautiful green eyes. He thoroughly loved the outdoors. He was an avid fisherman and showed off his skills on all bodies of water, from the northern lakes to deep sea fishing on the ocean. He rarely came home empty handed. He enjoyed many trips paddling down the Brule River with the ever-present KIND juice tied to the canoe. He maneuvered the river like an expert, with no help from the mouthy boulder sitting paddle-less in the bow.  He enjoyed vacationing in Mexico, New Orleans, Florida, the family cabin, and countless other destinations. Sometimes just a trip to the local Legion or VFW with neighbors turned out to be a global experience.

He loved to cook and relished battling me about who could do it better. He enjoyed entertaining family and friends at home with his cooking abilities and drink concoctions. Craig was always up for shenanigans. I remember running through the bowels of the Minneapolis Hyatt, dodging chefs and laundry workers in an effort to beat his friend Shawn to the restaurant. Good times.

He spent many hours in his jam room playing guitar or listening to music at the highest decibel with his friends and family.

Craig fought his cancer with the strength of a dozen men. I so admired his fortitude. He was generous, honest, and true, and by far the funniest person I have ever met. He loved my bad behavior, and I miss him immensely. He walked quietly yet left a giant footprint on us all.

Goodbye Sweet Prince...you will always be on my shoulder.