John Cronin Obituary, Death Cause – After a time of declining health, a struggle with leukemia, and a severe brain injury, John F. Cronin, a distinguished Veteran, retired Brockton Firefighter, and the husband of Alice (Cassidy) Cronin, passed away on August 1, 2023, just short of his 75th birthday. He was surrounded by his family. John F. Cronin had been married to Alice (Cassidy) Cronin. After spending the first 45 years of his life in Brockton, where he was born, he moved to Raynham, where he spent the last years of his life. He was born in Brockton on August 10, 1948, to the late D. Leo and Rita P. (Condon) Cronin.
John attended Saint Patrick’s grade school, Cardinal Spellman High School (class of 1966), and Massasoit Community College, where he obtained an associate’s degree in Fire Science Technology. He was a graduate of all three schools. John joined the United States Navy not long after he received his diploma from Cardinal Spellman. He served for four years during the Vietnam War and was honored with the National Defense Medal as well as the Vietnam Service Medal for his service.
John obtained a position with the Department of Public Works for the City of Brockton after receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy. In 1984, he was able to fulfill his lifelong dream of joining the Brockton Fire Department, and ever since then, he has taken great pleasure in his work, his fellow firefighters, and his membership in IAFF Local 144. He spent a number of years working at Russell & Pica Funeral Home in a part-time capacity there.
In addition to being well-known for his obnoxious and obsessive devotion to Notre Dame football, John was an avid supporter of the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots. Over the course of his more than four decades-long membership at the Brockton YMCA, he made a great deal of close friends there. In 2010, John suffered a rupture in his esophagus, which required him to spend many months in the hospital. As a consequence of the complications that arose from his medical condition, he became entirely blind.
Because of this, he didn’t venture out of the house very often, which negatively impacted the quality of his life. He was unable to engage in the activities that brought him joy, such as seeing the smiles of his loved ones or watching his grandchildren participate in sports, and this crushed his heart as well as his spirit. John was a voracious reader throughout his whole life; but, after suffering visual loss, he came to rely heavily on audiobooks and Amazon Alexa to supply him with many hours of listening to books written by his favorite authors, as well as information on the latest news, the weather, and other topics.
John was a communicant of Saint Ann’s Church in Raynham, Saint Patrick’s Church in Brockton, Saint Coleman’s Church in Brockton, and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Brockton. John was a dedicated Catholic and had served as an alter boy in the past. A man who is famous for his quick Irish wit, humor, and joke telling, he defined himself with a giggle as “an overall great guy!” John Cronin was predeceased in death by both of his parents, as well as by his brothers Dennis and Thomas.
John is survived by his wife of 45 years, Alice (Cassidy), as well as their children, Elizabeth and Joe Spearin, Maureen and Paul McCormack, Sean and Jennifer (Kellogg) Cronin, and Michael and Laura Marie (Yafrate) Cronin. Michael and Laura Marie (Yafrate) Cronin are married with two children. Grampy to Dylan, Jacob, and Noah of Raynham, as well as Maria, William, and Patrick. He is survived by a number of cousins, nieces, and nephews, as well as treasured close friends and Bogey, his grand puppy. He was the brother-in-law to Ned, Ann, Paul, Larry, and Gerry Cassidy, all of whom were married to Ann’s siblings.
