Craig Louis Baxter, age 28 of North Platte departed this life on January 4, 2016 in Lincoln, NE.
Craig was born on August 28, 1987 to Dr. Kim and Nancy (Pelster) Baxter in North Platte, NE. He attended McDaid Elementary School and graduated in 2006 from St. Patrick’s High School. While at St. Pat’s, he participated in football and basketball, as well as vocal music and many other sports and activities, including Student Council and National Honor Society. He was selected to the All-District Football Team and was chosen by his teammates to be co-captain of the St. Pat’s football team his senior year. He also received numerous music awards at conference and district competitions and was selected to All-State Chorus, as well as the UNK Honor Choir and the UNK Festival Choir. While in high school, he was selected to attend Boys State, as well as RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) camp where he won the individual talent competition.
Craig was very active at St. Patrick’s Church where, while growing up, he served as a music leader with his dad and Mikaela, his sister, eventually becoming an individual music leader as well. He had an exceptional talent for music, playing guitar and singing. His passion for music led him to become a natural performer and he put that to good use in many ways, often sharing his talent for charitable events and those honoring our veterans. He became an accomplished song writer as well and often incorporated many of his own original songs into his performances.
Following high school, Craig attended the University of Nebraska, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology in 2011. While at UNL, Craig was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. For three consecutive years Craig headlined “Concert for a Cause”, a charity fundraiser which he conceived himself and organized with the help of his fraternity brothers. This charity generated substantial funds for various worthy causes, including the TeamMates Mentoring Program. He was also selected to represent UNL as a member of their New Student Enrollment team, where he helped write and produce skits to help educate new students on college life. He took on a big role as a performer in many of these skits and also gave campus tours for new students and their family members.
Following graduation from UNL, Craig was accepted to attend the Southern College of Optometry (SCO) in Memphis, TN and was just beginning his final clinical externship when he passed away. He was scheduled to graduate this coming May and will be receiving an Honorary Doctorate degree posthumously at SCO’s commencement ceremony.
Craig definitely had a very giving heart. This showed through with his many close friends who have recalled how Craig was always there for them, reaching out to them whenever they were going through any sort of personal struggles, offering his support and love to them. This same caring heart guided him toward mission work, having traveled to Russia as a member of a UNL Catholic FOCUS mission trip to a very poor area of that country. Even prior to that, he had accompanied his dad on several different eye care mission trips to a number of underdeveloped countries. Through these experiences, he gained an even stronger sensitivity for the poor and underprivileged and he came to realize how good it made him feel to be of service to others. This is primarily what led him to pursue a career in optometry.
Craig had many passions in life besides the aforementioned and they almost always involved spending quality time with his family and friends. He loved snowboarding, downhill and cross country skiing, hiking, bicycling and backpacking. Upon graduation from SCO, he had planned on bicycling around the coast of Ireland, partly with his dad. He was a strong Husker football fan and an avid Green Bay Packer fan. He particularly admired Aaron Rogers, not only for his athleticism, but also for his humility and character.
Survivors include his parents, Dr. Kim and Nancy Baxter; his sister Mikaela (Dave) Meagher; his grandmother Anne Baxter; numerous uncles and aunts; as well as many cousins and close friends, and his beloved dog Bailey.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, W. Neal Baxter and Leonard & Christine Pelster; and his aunt Jeannie Pelster.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to North Platte Catholic Schools, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation’s “Dr. Kim & Nancy Baxter Family Fund” for disadvantaged children, or the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Christian Wake services will be at 7:00 p.m. Friday January 15, 2016 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday January 16, 2016 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church with the Reverend James Golka as Celebrant. Burial will follow at the North Platte Cemetery. Closed casket visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Thursday January 14th and from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Friday January 15th at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements.