Dennice Craig

Mary Dennice Craig (Daughenbaugh), age 80, passed away on February 2, 2026, surrounded by her beloved family and friends. Dennice was a woman of exceptional grace, intelligence, talent, and beauty, with a warm, reassuring presence and a kind and generous spirit.

She was born on July 31, 1945, in Wichita, Kansas, to Denzel Daughenbaugh and Mary Ruth Daughenbaugh (Woelk). She was preceded in death by her husband, Professor Andrew Craig, and sister, Deborah Maloney. She is survived by her two sons, Matthew Craig of San Mateo, California, and Jason Craig of Los Angeles, California; one sister, Dalene Stevens of Derby, Kansas; twin grandchildren, Lyra and Quinn Craig of San Mateo, California; one niece, Bridget Maloney; two nephews, Patrick Maloney and Aaron Stevens; and one grandniece, Harper Stevens.

Dennice graduated with honors from Southeast High School in Wichita, Kansas, in 1963 and, in the fall of 1963, attended Wichita State University. She was a serious and dedicated student, majoring in history and anthropology. In 1966, she was tapped for Mortar Board, the highest academic recognition awarded at Wichita State. She also contributed a great deal to the enrichment of campus life, playing the viola in the University Symphony, serving as a council member for the largest women's organization on campus, the Association of Women Students, and serving as president of the Tri Delta Sorority.

Upon graduation in 1967, Dennice entered a master's degree program in anthropology at the University of Kansas and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study anthropology in New Zealand. However, she chose instead to accept the marriage proposal of Andrew Craig, and together they raised their family in a country home on fifty acres on the outskirts of Derby, Kansas. During this time, she taught World History, Sociology, and Psychology at Campus High School in Haysville, Kansas, where in 1985 she received the Campus High School Student Council Teacher of the Year Award. In 1995, she received the Master Teacher of the Year Award from Haysville School District #261. She later served as assistant principal at Campus High until her retirement in 2007.

Dennice chose to continue serving her family, friends, and community with the same energy, dedication, and zest for life she had always shown. For more than ten years, she led three local book clubs, became an active member of the Wichita Audubon Society, created beautiful wood carvings, and became a master gardener. And not least of all became "Grandma" to her beloved neighborhood children, Grayson, Mavrik, and Ledger Gagne.

Her work as a master gardener led her to research how to bring native plants to her country garden, thereby attracting more bees, butterflies, birds, and insects of all kinds. She planted more than 300 species of native grasses and flowers, many by seed. Over the years, she presented numerous programs at city libraries, Botanica, and the Wichita Audubon Society, teaching the public the importance of growing native plants and creating a balanced ecology in the garden.

Attracting many different species of birds naturally made her an avid birdwatcher, and she volunteered for the Audubon Society's annual bird count for nearly ten years. She also traveled with fellow Audubon members to great birding spots in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Her dream birding trip came true in 2024 when she traveled to India with a local birding group led by ornithologist and naturalist Bob Gress.

Dennice will be greatly missed by her beloved family, many friends, colleagues, and students, and will be remembered most of all for her deep kindness and loving nature. A Celebration of Life is planned for the summer of 2026.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to: Wichita Audubon Society P.O. Box 47607 Wichita, Kansas 67201