Emmette Edwin Craver

Emmette Edwin Craver, 95 of Waco, passed away peacefully, Saturday, January 24, 2026. Family and friends will gather for a memorial reception Friday, February 6, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home Garden Room, 6101 Bosque Blvd. in Waco. He will be cremated and with his many years of dedicated service to his country his cremated remains will be placed in the Columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D. C.

Emmette was born June 12,1930, to Emmette Lester Craver, of Clyde Kansas, and Dorothy Delma McGuire Craver, of Trinidad Colorado. Emmette was born in a private home in Bent County, Colorado. He attended country schools in Bent County and the schools in Las Animas, Colorado until he graduated from Bent County High School in 1948. After graduating from High School, he attended Colorado A&M for one year prior to working at the Gates Rubber Company. He slowly migrated from National Guard into the active Air Force. He retired from the Air Force after 27 plus years with the rank of a Major. He spent 7 years as an enlisted person in an Air National Guard Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (AC&W) before being commissioned a 2nd Lt. on 13 February 1955 and going to pilot training at Lackland, Spence, Laredo and Williams Air force base in Arizona. His Air National Guard unit was called to active duty for the Korean War, The Berlin Crises and the Cuban Crises. During the Cuban Crises, some of the National Guard pilots were given the option to “go regular Air Force” to fill pilot shortages. He looked at his civilian pilot jobs with Continental Air Line and United Air line and decided he had more invested in a military career than his civilian one; so, he was commissioned into the regular Air Force 30 July 1963.

The next 10 years he was stationed overseas more than he was stationed in the United States. During his military life, he finished the Squadron Officer School, the Command and Staff School and the Air War College. He also earned his Baccalaureate degree from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. All his military service was as a jet fighter pilot where he amassed over three thousand hours of flight time in the F-86, F-100, F-105 and F-4. During his two tours in the F-4 in Vietnam, he flew over 350 missions totaling more than 800 hours of combat time. He amassed over 50 medals and ribbons including the Silver Star, Three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star and 22 Air Medals. He retired from the AirForce in the summer of 1977.

Emmette’s passion was flying and after he finished his Military career, he attended Texas State Technical College (TSTC) where he passed the Federal Aviation Administration test for his Airframe and Power-plant certificates. He then stayed on as an instructor at TSTC until he retired from the State in 1987. Emmette met Kathleen Mary Sweet at an EAA air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1987. They were married November 11, 1987 in Waco. They retired to a small acreage where, Emmette has put his energy into building up his small farm. He remained active in aviation with the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 59 where he served in various officer’s positions.

Emmette was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Delma; his father, Emmette Lester; 1 sister Jean Marie, 2 brothers Lloyd Keith and David Leon, and his son, Allen Craver.

Emmette is survived by his wife, Kathleen Mary Craver of Waco; sister, Joan Sharp of Arizona; brother, Larry Craver of Colorado; son, Roy Craver of California; daughters, Pamela Porter, Donna Craver and Leslie Gibbons all of California along with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; extended family and numerous friends over the years.

Emmette’s family invites you to leave a message or a memory in his online “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.