Craig J. Cassel

Craig J. Cassel passed away peacefully, with his wife by his side, in Houston after a courageous battle with cancer on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Born on September 4, 1961 in Milwaukee, WI., Craig was raised in Cedarburg and graduated from Cedarburg High School in 1979. He grew up working along side his Dad and brothers at Cassel Box & Lumber Company and eventually took over running the family business. He met the love of his life, Katy, in 1988 through his sister, Karen. They married in 1990, eloping to Las Vegas and marrying at the Little Chapel of the Bells. They returned to Cedarburg and had a church blessing at St. Francis Borgia in Cedarburg. He often teased his wife that one wedding wasn’t enough and she had to keep marrying him because he was so much fun. Craig and Katy were blessed with three beautiful children and they enjoyed watching these three incredible individuals grow up to develop their own unique talents and skills. Craig was intent on helping each of his children achieve their dreams and supported them in each of their interests. He especially enjoyed coaching Tommy in youth hockey and was incredibly proud of him moving on the play AAA hockey and then being recruited as a high school senior to play junior hockey. He loved the cookies Brittany would bake for him and often teased he did not get enough cookies as a child and needed to make up for it now. And he frequently asked Kelly to use her photography skills to take pictures of the deer so he could show his friends. Craig followed in his father’s footsteps by working as the third generation of their family business. Cassel Box & Lumber started as Cassel Cartage in Milwaukee and moved to a new building in Grafton when Craig was a teen. He enjoyed working on his saw but was especially adept at visualizing creative alternatives to customers needs and often designed his own boxes. He was innovative and hardworking, continuing to improve the company and was instrumental in introducing computerized saws to production. He took pride in the craftsmanship of their work and was incredibly proud of their product. It was immensely satisfying for him to create the box for the motorcycle used in the Captain America movie and often bragged that the movie designers were so impressed with the box that they actually included it in the background of the film. Craig was a loyal friend, honest, hardworking and straightforward. He had a heart of gold and was especially fond of animals. He took his golden retriever, Bailey, to work with him every day and would throw tennis balls to her all day long. And although he loved hunting and especially loved the peace and quiet of bow hunting, he enjoyed watching the deer more than anything. His wife constantly teased him that he actually went out to watch the deer rather than to hunt, because most times he would not come home with anything. Craig was loved by many and had a very tight group of friends he had known his whole life. He especially loved their monthly sheepshead games. He was actively involved in the Ozaukee Men’s Hockey League for over 30 years, playing defense, and had a wicked slap shot. He had Cassel Box sponsor the team a few years ago and he was so proud that they won the championship. Dad will be greatly missed by his broken-hearted family and friends. Craig is survived by his loving wife and best friend of 30 years, Katy (nee Graber). Best friend and dear father of daughters Kelly and Brittany and son Tommy. He is further survived by brothers Marc (Leah) Cassel, John (Cindy) Cassel, and sisters Christie (Jim) Burke, Melinda (Jim) Francois, and Karen Cassel. He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Marjorie Cassel. A celebration of Craig’s life will be held at St. Joseph’s Church on Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 1pm. A visitation will take place prior to the funeral service at Mueller Funeral home in Grafton, WI from 9 am-noon. A private burial will follow the mass at St. Francis Borgia Cemetery in Cedarburg, WI. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the National Geographic Wildlife Conservation Society or Leukemia and Lymphoma Society are appreciated. The family is also encouraging anyone eligible to find it in their heart to donate blood to the Versiti blood center to help other cancer patients like Craig fight this disease.