Craig Howard Wentzel, 75, of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, passed away in his home on October 5, 2026, after a year long battle with colon cancer. Craig was born on June 25, 1951 in Milwaukee, to parents Marvin and Dolores Wentzel (née Van Ess). He grew up in Wauwatosa and was the middle child of three boys. Craig loved swimming, and competed from childhood through high school. He also spent many summers lifeguarding. After graduating from Wauwatosa West high School, he attended UW-Madison for a year and fell in love with the city. He dreamed of owning a home on one of the lakes. Craig came of age during the hippie era and had an eclectic taste in music. His favorite way to relax was to blast his tunes through his living room speakers. When he wasn’t listening to music or tending to his vegetable garden, he was likely cheering on a Wisconsin sports team - Badgers, Packers, Brewers, and Bucks - he cheered for them all and hardly missed a game. Craig held a long and successful career as a welder. But what he took the most pride in was being a father - and more recently, a grandfather. Craig was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his daughter Elyse Cardwell (Heath), his grandson Lucas, brothers Bill (Brooks) and Barry (Lynette), and several nieces and nephews. It was Craig’s wish to be cremated. A celebration of life honoring him will be held at Mo’s Irish Pub (Wauwatosa) on November 7, 2026 from 1-4pm. Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite Wisconsin sports team apparel.