July 16, 1935-Dec. 29, 2022
Mary Jo Hopping Craig was born in the Jubilee Hospital in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, on July 16, 1935. She was the daughter of George Redstone Hopping and La Velle Yantis. She was the youngest of four children.
Her family continued to live in Vernon, B.C., until her father (an entomologist for the Canadian government) was transferred to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where she attended and graduated from Central High School and enjoyed playing on the varsity basketball team. While living in Calgary, Mary Jo, her mother and sisters became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After high school, she attended Brigham Young University where she met her husband Wesley, and they were married and sealed shortly thereafter in the Cardston, Alberta, temple. Mary Jo and Wesley enjoyed ballroom dancing up until the time that she contracted polio just before delivering her third child, which resulted in partial permanent paralysis— taking away her ability to participate in sports and dancing which she loved. This only increased her capacity to love, serve, and nurture others, and her six children were her pride, joy and focus throughout her life.
Undaunted, and despite her physical limitations, her family traveled and lived in many foreign countries including Guatemala (where David was born), Peru (where William was born), Spain (where James was almost born) and Venezuela (where she served with Wesley as Mission President of the Maracaibo, Venezuela, Mission).
These experiences enabled her to become fluent in the Spanish and French languages. For the past 35 years, she has lived in St. George, Utah, with her husband. During this time she served in the Family History Library and served another mission with her husband to Central America.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her older sister Miriam Anne (Micki) Hopping, her brother John Griffith Hopping, her daughter Judy Lynn and her granddaughter Lindsay Nicole Keith.
She is survived by her husband Wesley William Craig Jr. (now 95 years old), her sister Katherine (known as “Kay”) La Velle (David) Wilcox, her daughter Carol Leslie (Gary-deceased) Keith, her sons David Chrisman (Leslie) Craig, Steven Andrew (Elizabeth) Craig, William Bruce (Cynthia) Craig, James Wesley (Nela) Craig, 21 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. How she loved them all.
Memorial services will be held Friday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m. at the Riverbend Ward Chapel, 2583 E. 350 N., St. George.
The services will be live-streamed on the McMillan Mortuary website. Family and friends may visit prior to the service at 10 a.m.
Interment will be held at the Ivins City Cemetery.
Condolences may be shared on the McMillan Mortuary website.