Craig Leibowitz

Craig Steven Leibowitz of Hickory passed away on Sunday, April 9, 2023 at Carolina Caring Hospice House. He was 52. Born July 24th, 1970, he was the son of Michael and Donna Leibowitz. He is survived by his wife, Allison Leibowitz, of Hickory, NC, and his parents, Michael and Donna Leibowitz, of Boynton Beach, FL.

Craig graduated from Great Bridge High School in Great Bridge, VA, in 1988. Afterwards, he attended the University of Florida at Gainesville, graduating in 1992.

Craig was full of life, a highly intelligent person with an irreverent sense of humor. He was an avid gamer who worked hard to understand the rules of whatever game he was playing at the time. He took particular delight in exploiting those rules to do things that were perfectly legal but often not necessarily what the game creator had in mind. Role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons were his favorite, but he also enjoyed computer games like World of Warcraft. He liked playing poker and blackjack, and he won more often than he lost. He loved books, particularly science fiction and fantasy. Visiting used bookstores was a treasured pastime for him, and he considered looking through the shelves there like a treasure hunt. His collection of first edition hardbacks was something he was especially proud of.

Craig had many different jobs over the years, in many different fields. He worked in advertising and insurance, became a drug sales representative for a time, sold cars, and was assistant manager at a bookstore. He became a licensed EMT and firefighter in the state of Florida and later worked as a pharmacy technician. His last job was as a delivery driver, but what he truly wanted to be was a professional gamer.

Craig was a loving, wonderful, playful, and attentive husband to Allison. He could be a real charmer when he wanted to be. He was also a loving son to his parents. He had many friends both in person and online.

Craig strove to be fair-minded about his opinions, but he also lived his life the way he wanted, without much care for what others thought about him.

Craig had many favorite things. Among them were taking Caribbean beach vacations, eating lobster and king crab legs, and watching movies, particularly sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero ones. He loved trying new foods and drinking new cocktails with friends. He relished airing his political views on Facebook, sometimes with controversial results. He also enjoyed teasing Allison whenever he thought he could get away with it.

A memorial service for Craig will be held in Stuart, FL, at Treasure Coast Seawinds Funeral Home on Saturday, April 29th, from 10 am to noon. The funeral home is located at 950 S.E. Monterey Road, Stuart, FL, 34994.

We will miss you forever, Craig. Rest in peace.