Creighton Lee Hatten

Creighton Lee Hatten, age 91, passed peacefully at his Durango, CO home in the early morning of December 27, 2022. His two children, Brad Lee Hatten and Pamela Jo Hatten, along with Pamela's husband, John Bryan, were with him at his passing.

He was born on October 20, 1931, in Goshen, Indiana, the son of the late Lewis Craton Hatten and Delta Christina Bennett Hatten. Creighton will also be joining in heaven his wife of 67 years, Barbara (B-Jo) Benton Hatten; a baby son; a grandson, Mark Hatten; a brother, Phocian Hatten; and a sister, Phyllis Hatten Ackerson Bower, both from Indiana.

Creighton is survived by his two children, Pamela Hatten and Brad Hatten, and Pamela's husband, John Bryan, all of Durango, CO. He is also survived by his seven grandchildren, Amy Jo Koch of Durango, CO; Katie Grace Knuckles of Durango, CO; Emily Suzanne Knuckles of Durango, CO; John Hatten of Bakersfield, CA; Matthew Hatten of Phoenix, AZ; Jackie Hatten of Los Angeles, CA; and Camirose Louise (NYX) Hatten-Walker of Durango, CO. Creighton is also survived by nine great-grandchildren, Cruz, Carter, Creighton, Sean, Jackson, Hayden, Hogan, Christian and Billy.

A 1949 graduate of Goshen High School, (Goshen, Indiana) Creighton attended University of South Carolina on a football scholarship. He was an adventure loving soul, moving his young family to Venice, Florida in 1957 where he opened a very successful drive-in restaurant called "Dog 'n Suds". He went on to create masterpieces in brickwork, building numerous homes and became a Master Electrician, founding and running a very successful business in Venice called Hatten Electric, which he ran for many years.

His competitive spirit led him into sailboat racing, and he spent a great deal of time with his second love, a sailboat named Leading Edge. Continuing his spirit of adventure, Creighton and B-Jo bought their dream house on the top of a mountain in Western North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, where he loved gardening, beekeeping, the beautiful views and fresh air. The next adventure was moving to Durango, CO with B-Jo to be near his children and family in 1994. He never really retired, working on various projects at First Presbyterian Church of Durango, where he was an active member. He went on several mission trips to places like Haiti and Peru, as well as Miami after Hurricane Andrew; he volunteered regularly for the Durango Food Bank and was constantly picking up numerous odd jobs for friends. In his spare time, he loved playing card games and dominoes with family, friends and neighbors, who were the highlight of his life.

Friends and family are invited to attend a Celebration of Life for Creighton and Barbara (B-Jo) Hatten at First Presbyterian Church of Durango on January 14, 2023 at 2pm with Pastor Beau Smith officiating.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations in the names of Creighton Lee Hatten and Barbara Jo Hatten to: Hospice House of Mercy - https://chicf.thankyou4caring.org/mhd-donate OR First Presbyterian Church of Durango - https://www.fpcdurango.org/give