Craig Eugene Sell

Craig Eugene Sell, 62, of Marshall, passed away on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at home surrounded by family.

Craig was born on August 23, 1960 to James and Ann (Pelfresne) Sell in Muskegon, Michigan. He graduated from Parchment High School in 1979. He continued his education at Michigan State University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1984. He later attended Michigan State’s Eli Broad College of Business and earned his Master of Business Administration in 2015.

Craig met his wife, Yalonda, at Michigan State University and they were married on May 4th, 1985 at St. Anne Catholic Church in Ortonville, Michigan. They spent 38 wonderful years together, building their family and home in Marshall, Michigan.

Craig began his engineering career at the Eaton Proving Grounds. During his tenure at Eaton, he held various engineering and leadership positions in both the vehicle and aerospace sectors. One role in particular required a move to Torino, Italy where Craig and his family had the opportunity to spend a year exploring Europe. He not only had accolades for his technical abilities, such as a patent for his design of a torsional coupling for the supercharger, he was also a highly respected leader and mentor to many. After 36 years at Eaton, he retired in 2020 from his position as Vice President and CTO of the Eaton Hydraulics Group.

In his free time, Craig enjoyed both fishing and hunting. He cherished his annual antelope hunting trip out west and his past trips down south to pig hunt. He became an avid fisherman over the years, especially after retirement when he purchased his new fishing boat. He enjoyed sharing his boating expertise with friends and family, never missing a chance to get out on the water. When he wasn’t fishing or hunting, you could find him working in his barn. He knew how to fix anything and loved getting involved in various projects, always willing to lend a hand to friends and neighbors.

Craig loved his family and supported his daughters in all of their endeavors. His favorite vacations were those spent camping with family. Most recently, the family took a trip to Yellowstone where Craig led an ATV adventure through the woods. He enjoyed laughing and sharing stories over “a soda”, often while playing cards or sitting around a bonfire.

Craig is survived by his daughters, Amanda Sell of Marshall, Victoria (Kyle) Newnam of Canyon Country, California, and Heather (Marcus) Berg of Minneapolis, Minnesota; mother, Ann Sell; brothers, Brian (Amy) Sell, James (Betsy) Sell, and John Sell; sisters, Pam (Josh) Weiner, and Lisa (Ken) Solomon.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Yalonda Sell, and father, James Sell.

Visitation will be held on Friday, August 11, 2023 at Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services, 723 US Hwy 27 N, Marshall, Michigan 49068 from 9:30-11am. Following visitation, family and friends will process for a Funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 212 West Hanover Street, Marshall, Michigan 49068 starting at 11:30am with Father Craig Lusk officiating. Following the funeral mass, burial will take place at Oakridge Cemetery at 1:15pm, 614 Homer Road, Marshall, Michigan 49068. A luncheon will take place following burial at the funeral home.

Please visit https://www.kempffuneralhome.com to sign the online guestbook or to leave the family condolences, stories and memories of Craig are greatly appreciated. If desired, memorial contributions are suggested to Alliance for the Great Lakes, 150 N Michigan Ave, Ste 750, Chicago, Illinois 60601 or at https://www.greatlakes.org/donate. To make an online gift or tribute, just check the box "dedicate my donation in honor in memory of someone" and follow the prompts.