Timothy Cornelius Cronin, III
Timothy Cornelius Cronin III passed from this life on July 30, 2023, at The Courville at Nashua, in Nashua, NH. Born on September 26, 1927, in Manchester, NH, he was the son of Timothy C. and Anne Frances Meaney Cronin; the younger brother of Frederick; and the beloved nephew of Margaret Mary Cronin. He was proud of his Irish heritage and celebrated it in great style.
Tim attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grammar School where he met a little girl, Gloria A. Mara. They both attended Manchester Central High School - he on the football team and class president; she a cheerleader and class secretary. They fell in love. After high school, Tim was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point by Sen. Charles Tobey. On June 8, 1949, the day after graduation, Tim and Gloria were married at the West Point Catholic Chapel. Tim and Gloria had six children: Tom Cronin (Joe Eppolito), Hudson, NH, Mary Cronin (Jay Pozenel), Croton-on Hudson, NY, Barbara Montealegre (Jamie), Hugo, MN, Tim C. Cronin IV (Carol Rozwell), North Kingstown, RI, Connie Morris (Gary), Somerset, MA, and Gloria Cronin Fisher (Heath, MA).
Tim was a great dad, full of love and taught his children valuable lessons to live a good life. Never be mean to anyone. Think before you speak. Cronins aren’t quitters. Two wrongs don’t make a right. If you want to know what that word means, here’s the dictionary. Books are our friends. Robert Frost is a great poet. The answer to “Why?” is “Why Not?” No singing at the dinner table. Bawdy Irish drinking songs are okay to sing with a few words changed. And the most endearing and frustrating for some of his type A children, a minute early is a minute wasted (particularly applied to Mass and airports).
In 1984, Tim’s wife, Gloria, died in a car accident. He was bereft and found comfort in his Catholic faith, his children, and his work. While working at Software International, he had met Jeanine Yeast Wallis. Their friendship turned to love. He was a great romantic, bringing a different wind-up toy to each dinner date. They married on June 15, 1991, at Saint Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Bedford, NH. This marriage also brought two more children to love, Erik Wallis (Annette), Punta Gorda, FL, and Dana Cinar (Tavit), Bartlett, NH, and Watertown, MA. Tim and Jeanine enjoyed their quiet life in Bedford, watching the wildlife and birds in their yard, reading, and adopting dogs and cats from the local shelter. Even though Tim was hard of hearing, he could always hear and understand Jeanine.
Tim’s brother’s children were three more to love and care for: Ginny Cronin Usen, Plymouth, MA; Red (Sharleen) Cronin, Hales Location, NH, and Jack (Jan) Cronin, Zephyrhills, FL. They held a special place in his heart. Their mother, Kay Dolan Cronin, was an exceptional person who taught him to drive and whom he admired and loved dearly. Many great times were held with all of them on the fourth of July and at biennial CroninFest reunions.
After graduation from West Point, Tim chose the Air Force as his branch of service. He was posted to Ohio and Germany. After separating from the service in 1956 as a captain, Tim moved his family to Minneapolis, MN, where he was worked in Honeywell’s Aerospace Division. In 1964, the family moved to Natick, MA, when Tim transferred to the Honeywell Computer Control Division where they made mini computers to be become director of Marketing and Sales. In 1971, he accepted a position as vice president at Addressograph Multigraph in Cleveland, OH, and the family moved to Solon, OH. The family moved once again in 1974 to Weston, MA, when Tim became Chair and CEO of Inforex and to be in closer proximity to family who lived in New Hampshire and Maine. Before he retired, Tim’s final positions were at Software International and Wang Laboratories.
In addition to his wife, Jeanine, and all the children he called his own; he is survived by his grandchildren: Nathan Morris (Summer Thyme), MA, Stephen Morris, Providence, RI, Chris Morris (Arlee Woodworth), Blue Hill, ME, Sarah Cronin, Nashua, NH, Tim C. Cronin V (Dawn), Dover, NH, Jon Cronin, Nashua, NH, Kate Montealegre (Mike Stinson), Lake Elmo, MN, Bill Montealegre (Alyssa), Minnetrista, MN, Maggie Pozenel, White Plains, NY, and Madeline Cinar, Watertown, MA. He is also survived by his greatgrandchildren: Aidan Morris, Henry and Winslow Morris, Lev, Avielle, and Davin Morris; Alice Patierno, Ben, Josh, and Alex Cronin, Colin and Annika Stinson, and Rory and Stella Montealegre.
Tim Cronin made this earth a better place and will be sorely missed. He had a quick wit and a wonderful sense of humor. He was intelligent and curious. He never raised his voice in anger and was known to never say an unkind word about anyone (with the exception of an occasional politician). He enjoyed the respect and admiration of his colleagues and the people who worked for him. All his grandchildren and great-grandchildren knew instantly that he loved them. When asked how he was, he always answered, “Stupendous!” or “Robust!” He wrote quirky poems to his loved ones. He shared his love of music with all his children. He was charming and always sincere. He was especially known for his warm and comforting hugs, given freely and with love. He provided and demonstrated the power of unconditional love to his ever-growing family. “You’re the only one we got like that.”
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 am on Saturday, August 5, at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 190 Meetinghouse Rd., Bedford, NH. Prior to Mass there will be a Visitation in the church beginning at 9:15 am for anyone who would like to pay their respects. The Funeral Mass will be live streamed at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Bedford, NH (stelizabethsetonchurch.org). Committal Services will follow in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, 448 Donald St., Bedford, NH 03110 . A reception will follow at 12:30 at The Puritan Backroom function hall at the Puritan Conference and Event Center in Manchester. To leave a message of condolence, please go to www.lambertfuneralhome.com