Ligia Elida Craft

Ligia Elida Perez Zarzavilla Craft, 88, of Jonesboro, passed away on Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016, at St. Bernards Medical Center.

Ligia was Panamanian born in Carmen Provincia de Cartago Republica de Costa Rica while her father worked for the Panamanian Diplomatic Department. The oldest of three sisters, Ligia was raised in Panama City, Panama. Her sister Doris describes Ligia as "a wonderful wonderful daughter, loving sister, good student and a person of positive ideas for herself and everyone else."

Ligia's formal education was at the Simon Bolivar and the Intituto Panamainicano. After graduation, her first and only job was at the Agencias Panamainicanos where she was introduced to her future husband Bill Craft. Ligia's sister, Doris, tells the story that when asked whether Ligia should marry Bill, Doris told her, "if you love him, go ahead and marry the gringo, but the gringo cannot dance."

Bill and Ligia were engaged on Panama's Mothers Day, December 8th, and married February 21st, 1953. Once married, Bill and Ligia came to live in Jonesboro, Arkansas. One day, after being in farm country for two years, Ligia decided Panamanian life was a better life. She grabbed her children and flew back to Panama where she and Bill lived for the next twenty seven years. What a wonderful life they had together raising four children with her Panamanian family and friends.

In 1984, Bill retired and having their children living in Fayetteville, Arkansas, they decided to return to the United States and live in Fayetteville. The illness of Gussie B. Craft, Bill's mother, lead them to settle in Jonesboro the last 28 years.

Ligia was a homemaker and a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. She was an avid collector of beautiful things, loved flowers, bird-watching and bird figurines. Ligia enjoyed weekly card games and the deep friendships with her lady friends who fondly called her "Lee." And she especially enjoyed dressing in beautiful clothes, shoes and apparel.

Ligia was a special elegant lovely lady. She had a profound impact on her children's life and each child will carry a little piece of her in their hearts. She taught her children to sprinkle the world with kindness and compassion, to carry on with dignity, to love deeply and unconditionally, and most of all to seek God's grace and guidance in life. May we all continue to carry the torch she has so eloquently passed to us.

Ligia was preceded in death by her parents: Efrain Perez Angulo and Elida Arosemena Zarzavilla De Perez Angulo, and a sister, Leyla Ester Perez Arosemena.

Survivors include her husband, William G. "Bill" Craft of the home;

2 sons: William G. Craft, Jr. and Norman R. Craft, both of Fayetteville;

2 daughters and son-in-law: Madeline L. Craft of Jonesboro and Lizabeth E. Craft-Butler and her husband, Dr. Thomas W. Butler of Fayetteville;

1 sister, Doris Ofelia Perez Arosemena De Digeronimo of Panama City, Panama;

5 grandchildren: Harrison Radcliffe Craft, Oliva E. Craft, Catlin F. Craft-Reid (Matt), Chase S. Craft and Chandler T. Craft. All of her grandchildren affectionately called her "Mano" which means "loving hand" in Spanish. Also surviving is 1 great grandson, Landon Craft.

A funeral mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2016 in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church with Father Alphonse Gollapalli officiating. Burial will be private. A simultaneous Catholic mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday in Ligia's honor with her Panamanian family and friends in Panama City, Panama, at the Parroquia San Francisco de La Caleta.

Visitation will follow the service in the church.