William J. Cronin, Jr. - Obituary

illiam John Cronin, Jr. “Bill, Billy, Fred” passed away at his home in Pass Christian, MS on February 19, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his daughter, Danielle Cronin (Russ) Towndrow; his grandson, Aaron Pitcher (fiancé Amber Scott); his siblings, Mary Ann, Catherine, Timothy (Veronica) and Joseph Cronin and Julie (Steve) McHale; his sister-in-law, Patricia Cronin and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mary Cronin and his brother, Michael Cronin. Born on March 24,1950 at Providence Hospital in Washington, DC, Bill lived with his parents and older sister, Mary Ann in the home of his maternal grandparents. The family moved to the MD suburbs in early 1951, where his brother and future best friend, Michael, was born. The family continued to grow in a small 3-bedroom and 1 bath house in Berkshire, MD. With the arrival of the latter 4 siblings the house became too small for this growing clan, so his parents bought the model home in a neighborhood about 1 mile away in District Heights, MD. All the Cronin children attended Mt. Calvary School, and the parish church became a focal point of the family’s life. Bill was an altar boy and learned his prayers in Latin. He played sports all year long and learned to play the clarinet. Summers were spent at Oakcrest Country Club and North Beach, MD with all the cousins, aunts and uncles, staying at the summer home of Bill’s maternal grandparents. Being the son of Bill Cronin Sr., there was no other choice for high school except his alma mater, Gonzaga College High School. Bill excelled in football and basketball while Latin and Biology were a bit of a challenge. Upon graduation he enrolled in Villanova University where Bill started on the freshman football team. But, after two years he found that college life was not for him. He returned home, did some traveling in Europe with a good friend, then began his career with the federal government in the Naval Oceanographic Office. He met and married his first wife, Roberta “Bobbi” Creel in 1974. In 1975 Bill and Bobbi welcomed their baby girl, Danielle. The family was thrilled to have this new person in their lives. When Danielle was one year old, Bill was informed by his government agency that they were moving his entire unit to Mississippi. This was hard news for the rest of the family but was an opportunity for this young family to start over in a new place. They moved to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and lived in Pass Christian where he spent the rest of his life. Bill loved the food, golf, culture, and pace of Mississippi. His work with NAVO challenged him in the new world of computer programming. His original position was as a Computer Specialist helping to set up operating systems on Naval Research ships. As the computing world changed, Bill assumed a new role as a Communication Specialist. His focus now was setting up telecommunications from ship to shore using satellite communications. He traveled extensively around the world touching every continent except Antarctica. Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, which was devastating to Bill when his home was destroyed, along with the whole neighborhood and other nearby communities. Bill lived in a family motor home for 9 months working on the plans for his new modular home. Along with being cost effective, ordering and building a modular home allowed Bill to be one of the first in his community to rebuild and reinhabit the neighborhood. He retired from the federal government in 2007 to pursue his hobbies of golfing and traveling to various destinations using his powerboat. The highlight of his travels was a solo trip from St. Augustine, FL to St. Michaels, MD, stopping along various marinas on the Intracoastal Waterway. He met up with his sister, Cathy, in Portsmouth, VA and they came up the Chesapeake Bay together to St. Michaels. He made numerous trips up to Maryland to visit his mother and extended family up until the death of his mom in September 2011. In Bill’s later years he experienced health issues which limited his ability to play golf and enjoy his boat trips. Fortunately, Bill’s daughter, Danielle and her husband, Russ, who lived close by, were able to share many happy memories with Bill. This included their COVID wedding in February of 2021. They would enjoy seafood of all varieties, but their favorite was sharing crawfish and watching football games. Holiday celebrations were always spent together with a call back to Maryland to check in with the family. Danielle and Russ were the true angels that took care of Bill in his later days from January 2025 until his passing. Friends and family are invited to celebrate Bill’s life on Friday, August 15 from 12 pm until his memorial service begins at 1 pm at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD.