Craig Bernard Bellinghausen

Craig Bernard Bellinghausen, 65, of Elkhorn, Nebr., died Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at Buffett

Cancer Center in Omaha from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. He passed peacefully,

surrounded by his wife and children.



Craig was born in Carroll, Iowa on April 4, 1957, to Bernard and Donnabell (Haverkamp)

Bellinghausen. He was baptized, confirmed and attended parochial school at St. Johns Catholic

Church in Arcadia. He graduated from Carroll Kuemper High School in 1975 and attended Iowa

State University, graduating with a double major in 1979. He later went on to receive his MBA

from Indiana Wesleyan University. On May 15, 1982, he married Barbara Henke at Peace

Lutheran Church in Columbus, Nebr. They were looking forward to celebrating their fortieth

anniversary with a trip to Alaska in a few weeks.  



Craig joined GTE Telephone Operations (now Verizon) in 1979 and went on to have a 28-year

career in marketing, product management, finance, operator services and wholesale operations.

The family relocated six times as Craig and Barb (who also joined the company) were

transferred to other locations. Craig won many awards during his tenure, including the

prestigious Leslie H. Warner Award for Technical Achievement. He retired from Verizon in 2007

and started his second career as a telecommunications consultant. In 2015, he passed the

Series 7 exam and fulfilled his life-long goal of becoming a financial consultant and tax preparer.

He spent seven years working at O’Malley Financial/TaxHelp in Omaha.



Craig loved sports. He played slow pitch softball and club rugby for years. He was a lifelong

Iowa State fan, win or lose. He loved the Yankees, ISU and the local NFL team in every state he

lived in. He followed his childrens’ sports and rarely missed an event. He doted on his

grandchildren, Livia, Jade, Grant Jr., and Layton.



He was a traveler, visiting all 50 states, Europe and China and had flown over a million miles in

his lifetime. In semi-retirement, he and Barb purchased a second home in Plymouth, Mass. so

they could spend more time with their children and grandchildren.

His family (fondly) remembers him as the coupon king. No matter where they went or what they

did, he “had a coupon for that.”



Memorials may be directed to family choice.



Craig is survived by:

Wife: Barbara Bellinghausen, Elkhorn, NE

Son: Grant (Sheeren) Bellinghausen, Weymouth, MA

 Grandchildren: Grant Craig Bellinghausen, Jr.

Son: Garrett (Julie) Bellinghausen, Kingston, MA

Grandchildren:  Livia, Jade and Layton Bellinghausen, Kingston, MA

Daughter: Grace Bellinghausen, Omaha, NE

Brothers: Tom (Connie) Bellinghausen, Saint Peters, MO; Dennis (Linda) Bellinghausen,

Colorado Springs, CO; Brian (Angie) Bellinghausen, Omaha, NE

Sisters: Linda (Jerry) Folkers, Omaha, NE; Carol (Frank) Grieving, Carroll, IA;

Joan Kristy (Bruce) Kielhorn, Pella, IA

Mother-in-law, Delores Henke, Wahoo, NE

Many nieces and nephews



Craig was preceded in death by:

Parents: Bernard and Donnabell Bellinghausen

Father-in-law: Donald Henke

Sister-in-law: Margaret Henke

Grandson:  Charles Grant Bellinghausen