Bernard (Barney) Michael Crotty
Bernard (Barney) Michael Crotty passed away peacefully on March 30, 2018 (Good Friday) at the age of 94 in the presence of his children Michael, (Christianne), Joanna and nephew Liam Frost. Barney was preceded in death by their mother, Joan Keane Crotty (his beautiful and devoted wife of 39 years). Barney is finally reunited in joy with Pauline Crotty (his loving wife of 18 years) and their four children (Kathy, John, Julia & Peggy) who tragically died in a house fire in 1967. He joins his parents John Michael Crotty of San Francisco, his mother Anna (Byrne) Crotty of Ireland, his brothers (Jack & Kevin), sisters (Barbara & Ann) and other friends and family who have gone before him. He is survived by his only living brother, Francis (Marge) Crotty of Napa. He was the loved and admired friend, mentor, Godfather and uncle to many in the San Francisco Bay Area (Frosts & Crottys). He is also loving brotherin-law to Dominican Sister Sheila (Rosaleen Keane) of SF and Moira (Keane) Frost of Baltimore, MD and is known as Uncle Barney to all the East Coast Frosts. Bernard will be remembered and missed by all who knew him, especially, his children Michael (Christianne) Crotty and Joanna (Laxman) Dharmani and grandchildren (Bella, Kieran, Angelica) and his beloved Kathleen Taylor who adored him, cared for him and brought him such happiness and joy for the last decade of his life.
He was educated by the Christian Brothers at St. James Boys School. He worked for the City and County of San Francisco from 1948 to 1985. He served almost 30 years as the Superintendent of Street Cleaning, Urban Forestry and the Department of Public Works under Mayors Jospeh Alioto, George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein and Art Agnos. Shortly after “retirement” he was appointed CEO of the San Francisco Federal Credit Union. He continued to serve on the Board until 2012 when he truly retired at the age of ninety. During those years he also fought to protect the health care and benefits for retirees though his work with the San Francisco Retired Employees Association (where he also served as President for a period) and fought tirelessly for SF civil servants rights through the POB (protect our benefits) organization. He was a member of the Fryers club, The three I’ s( Irish, Italian, Israeli club) He was a founding member and assisted in the building of the SF united Irish cultural center. He fought for migrant farm workers rights on the board of Centro Latino and others too numerous to list. The passion that drove him for justice made him an incredible political force to be reckoned with and nothing moved in the city he loved without his approval or a Fight.
The successes he achieved in his professional life do not compare to the heights he gained as a husband, father, brother, friend and mentor. Bernard’s Christ-like nature and his unwavering faith left a lasting impression on all who had the pleasure of meeting him. His gentle nature, corny jokes, his charm, his stories and his overall positive outlook on life made him a joy to be around. He was a beacon of light in times of darkness. He was a source of hope during times of despair. He was a man of integrity, faith and good will in all situations. Generous, selfless, kind and wise are some of words that describe his essence. Barney will always be remembered and revered by those whose lives he touched.
The family would like to invite all to come celebrate his long and amazing life. Services will be held at St. Stephen’s Church 451 Eucalyptus Drive, San Francisco Ca 94132. Family and friends may visit at 6pm and are invited to attend the Vigil (Rosary) at 7pm Thursday, April 5, 2018. The Funeral Mass will be held on Friday April 6, 2018 at 10 a.m. A burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma. We will continue to celebrate his life with a reception at the United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Ave., San Francisco CA 94116.