Craig Nelson Thurston died unexpectedly from a brief illness in Mt. Dora, Florida, on November 13th, 2022. Born April 27th, 1952, in Mankato, Minnesota, Craig was affectionately called "the redhead," most likely the result of two perfect strands of North Sea genetics coming together. With freckles and a warm smile made dearer by dimples, "Fuzzy" was another nickname, giving a nod to the football player of the same moniker.

The heart of the horse beat strong and early in Craig. Along with the rhythm of the bass. During high school, he shared a rock-star hope with friends in the group called "The Messengers," and his patient mother permitted rehearsals in their farmhouse living room. There were no neighbors within distance to complain. They sounded good–even played for a 4-H gathering of more than a handful. Other dances, too.

As soon as he was able, he made room for horses on the farm, down to a well-appointed tack space in the large, empty barn, its walls covered with cast-off bedspreads. Blaze and Ringo were among his first, lucky quarter horses and only the start of hundreds of horses who benefitted from his care and "horse whisperer" understanding.

He ached to bolt from his childhood landscape in the too-much frozen north. He left home for good in a blizzard, telling his mother, "If I don't leave now, I never will." That he never would leave was her hope, but she didn't stop him. A sister watched from her bedroom window as he made drove down the long drive that curved south and away.

He realized his dream of making a career as a professional horse trainer, breeder, and showman. He earned a sterling reputation, and his career took him from Missouri and Nebraska to California and the Carolinas, and ultimately Florida. Many of those years were devoted to Gainey Arabian, training and breeding those stunning creatures at ranches in Owatonna, Minnesota; Solvang, California; and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Under his management and care as an owner, trainer, breeder, and showman of Bint Ibn Valley Arabians, Sorrento, Florida, he gained further acclaim for championship Arabian-cross horses.

He was a past president of the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) of Florida. The gavel from that office and dozens of framed photos from AHA were proudly displayed on the wall of his office in his final home in Mt. Dora, Florida.

He was a naturally gifted artist, taking after his father. And like his father, he braided it into work that followed his departure from the equine profession. His designs and creations as a custom welder–especially through his business Craig's Custom Welding in Tavares, Florida–still grace many elaborate homes and landscapes, and provide safety for rescued wild cats and tropical birds.

He willingly and readily made room in his life to care for others, from easing fear and pain of animals abandoned to the aftermath of tropical storms and especially his mother during her last years of life, despite it meaning he needed to return (temporarily) to the too-long winters of Minnesota.

He was a caring husband, first to Elsa (nee Gilliam) and then Laura (nee Boetto, deceased 2017). His third marriage to Debra (Debi) Herda, of Faribault, Minnesota, in 2008, was built upon a meaningful friendship begun when they were across-the-hall neighbors in Northfield, Minnesota. After he returned to Florida, he persuaded Debi to join him and there they worked together with energy and embarked on many adventures, and in retirement traveled with their camper to locations including Asheville, North Carolina, and their beloved Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida.

Craig felt deeply and was often quiet with his thoughts. And in the next moment, he was ready with a joke or encouraging word.

He was a proud uncle to nieces and nephews: Masa (Bailey) and Lane (Thurston), children of his brother Charles (Chuck) and sister-in-law Margaret (nee Christ) of Golden Valley, Minnesota; and Madeleine and Samuel (Thurston Hamerski), children of his sister Susan and brother-in-law Michael (St. Paul).

He was preceded in death by mother Mary Elizabeth (nee Nelson) and father Ellsworth LeRoy Thurston, long-time residents of the Lake Crystal, Minnesota area; several aunts and uncles; and grandparents who shaped his youth, Charles and Elizabeth Nelson and Julia Thurston (nee Hall), all of the Mankato area.

He will be missed by many, including Julie, the smartest beagle in the world.