Worthington High Schools Alumni Club - Deceased Classmates
First Name
Mitzie Lynn
Maiden Name
Smith
Last Name
Craddock
Passing Date
5/16/2022
Class Attended
1960
High School
Worthington High School
Mitzie Lynn Smith Craddock, of Worthington, Ohio, died at her long-time residence in Kingwood, Texas on May 16, 2022. She was born in Columbus, Ohio on December 16, 1942, to the late William Jerome Smith and Mary Virginia Thomas Smith. She has gone to be reunited with her grandson, Lane Michael Craddock, and her sister and best friend, Mary Virginia Smith Ey, who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by close friends Ellen Hanagriff, Valerie Young, and Mary Fields, all of whom she lost too early. Survived by her husband of 58 years, James Roger Craddock. Survived by her daughter, Jamie Lynn Tovar, son-in-law Tony, and their children Tony, Alex, and Rachel. Survived by her son, Michael Brian Craddock, daughter-in-law Amy, and their surviving children Katharine and Max. Survived by her son, Patrick Allen Craddock, daughter-in-law Kerri, and their children Zoey, Rylyn, and William. Mitzie Lynn Smith was raised in Worthington, Ohio, surrounded by a large, extended family. She graduated from Worthington High School in 1960. The summer after graduation, she met her future husband Roger while on vacation in Alexandria, Virginia. They married on September 21, 1963, at the United Methodist Church in Worthington, Ohio. She graduated from THE Ohio State University, class of 1964, with a Bachelor of Science in education and a minor in mathematics. Having begun college as a dance major, she continued ballet and dance throughout her time at OSU. After graduation, she reunited with Roger in Europe, where they spent the next two years stationed in France and Germany with the U.S. Army. On return to the U.S., they moved around, living in Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, before settling in Kingwood, Texas in 1979. Mitzie and her family always kept a deep connection to Ohio, spending time there almost every summer and holiday. In her early career, she worked as a computer programmer for Scientific Atlanta, and as a schoolteacher in both North Carolina and Texas. Once settled in Kingwood, she helped build an engineering company with her husband, running the financial and accounting side of CH&A. In 1992, she retired from Roger's company and found plenty to keep her occupied. She received her MBA from Houston Baptist University in 1993. She was a volunteer for the Kingwood Fire Department, driving an ambulance. She opened a nail salon and clothing store. She worked for an airline called Funjet so she could get free tickets. Ultimately, she chose to focus on being a loving grandmother to 9 grandchildren, often traveling with her family in tow. Some of her favorite trips were to Alaska, Italy, Costa Rica, Australia, Puerto Rico, southern Germany, and Bermuda. She could find just about any reason to travel. She once used her granddaughters' joke about walking down the Champs-Élysées in Paris as a reason to return there with them as a graduation present. She was also the principal conductor of many versions of the "Insane Road Tour", where she would drag younger grandkids all around the United States during long summer road trips. Mitzie loved college football (Go Bucks!), planning good food (but always just eating a few bites), traveling with family and her husband, decorating the home with eccentric decor, listening to music, playing the card game euchre with family, and dancing and laughing at inappropriate times and places. She was a long-time member of the Kingwood United Methodist Church. Her internment will be at Rosewood Cemetery in Porter, TX.
