F. Carleton Cronin

On October 18, 2025, the remarkable adventures of F. Carleton “Carl” Cronin—beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend—came to a close in West Hollywood, California, the place he called home for more than six decades. He was 92. Born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1933, in Springfield, Massachusetts, Carl carried a lifelong gift for joy and kinship: a quick smile, a glint in his eye, and an optimism that made every room brighter and everyone in it feel at ease.

Carl built a career that spanned more than six decades and yielded countless meaningful experiences and connections. He began working at age 14 at Jacobsen Shoes in Worcester, Massachusetts, and from that point on he never stopped. After leaving Boston’s High School of Commerce, he joined the U.S. Air Force at 18, serving as Air Police in London, Norway, and other parts of Northern Europe during NATO’s earliest years (1951–1955). Upon returning to the United States, Carl worked with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (sailing a research ship), Sandvik Steel, Prima Die Co., E.D. Bullard Company (later known as Vallen Corp.), and other organizations. He eventually became self-employed, taught as an adjunct professor, and consulted with a focus on occupational health and community safety. His professional affiliations included the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts, the Boston Sales Executives Club, the Boston Management Association, Diemakers and Diecutters International (which he co-founded), the American Society of Safety Engineers (as a Professional Member), and the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Above all, Carl was a family man. He took on early responsibilities in helping raise his three younger siblings and never lost his deep concern for them and their families—particularly his niece Dorothy Kramer and nephew Timothy Cronin, the children of his brother Gordon. Later in life, he was united with a previously unknown half-sister, Johanna Roberts-Ouellette, whom he welcomed without hesitation. Carl had four sons—Prescott, Brendan, Justin, and Daniel—of whom he was immensely proud. When the next generation arrived, he beamed with even greater pride, always delighting in his granddaughters—Georgia, Luella, Maeve, and Frances—and helping them explore their world. He was the one who clipped articles, saved magazines, and set aside anything he thought might interest or enlighten the people he loved or spark curiosity or conversation. Through his own curiosity, generosity of attention, and genuine interest in people, he gathered lifelong bonds with many of the most fascinating individuals of his era. Though too numerous to name, they can be assured he thought of them often and spoke of them with affection. He was known for lively discussions, playful humor, and occasionally breaking into song—especially the old Irish tunes that had long lived in his heart. It is not unusual to see his family and friends glow when they remember him.

Carl loved the natural world. He spent countless hours hiking and birding and shared these passions as a Boy Scout Leader and teacher of life skills. A friend to every creature and a champion of the earth and its people, he lived with the gentle spirit of St. Francis.

Many will remember Carl for his vast knowledge and his constant pursuit of more—especially through reading and listening closely to the experiences of others. His love of the written word began in childhood, during his time away at the Working Boys’ Home in Worcester, and it never faded. Throughout his life he consumed books, newspapers, and any form of writing he could find, and eventually began offering his own writings as well—reflections drawn from his exploits, ordeals, and adventures. His writing continued late into life, leaving behind a trove of insight waiting to reveal even more of his true depth.

Carl is survived by his devoted wife of 56 years, Toby Ann Cronin; his sons and daughters-in-law; his four granddaughters; and a wide circle of friends who will miss his laughter and his light. He was predeceased by his brother Gordon Cronin and sisters Melinda Lusk and Leslie Christenson.

A celebration of Carl’s marvelous life will be held on Monday, November 24, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn–Glendale, Little Church of the Flowers. The family invites friends and loved ones to gather and honor a life well lived.

Carl taught us that each day is worth a song, every person worth a kindness, and that a life lived with an open heart leaves the world brighter. His legacy is one of compassion, resilience, honor, duty to country and community, and connection with our environment and all of its inhabitants. He showed that trials can become triumphs and that every day holds the possibility of laughter and reflection. May his spirit continue to inspire love and kindness in all of us.

Carl attributes the fact that he had almost a decade added to his time here on earth to the ongoing research and excellent patient care during treatment to UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Santa Monica. He was also an ardent supporter of the National Geographic Society and the National Audubon Society. Your gift in Carl's memory, in lieu of flowers, would please him greatly.

For the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, please direct your gift specifically Dr. Zev Wainberg & his team. Gifts can be made to: JCCC, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90099-4973, or online: uclahealth.org/cancer/donate2025 

For the National Geographic Society, gifts can be made by mailing them to P.O. Box 5006, Boone, IA 50950-4006, or online: give.ngs.org.

Gifts to the National Audubon Society can be sent to P.O. Box 8908, Topeka, KS 66608-8908, or made online at audubon.org/SupportBirds 

Carl walked among us with open eyes and an open heart, leaving traces of joy wherever he went. And now, in spirit, he steps into the calm these words convey, inviting us to honor his journey with the quiet dignity of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Requiem.

Under the wide and starry sky,

Dig the grave and let me lie.

Glad did I live and gladly die,

And I laid me down with a will

This be the verse you grave for me:

Here he lies where he longed to be;

Home is the sailor, home from sea,

And the hunter home from the hill.