Harold "Bill" Cronin

Harold “Bill” Cronin

Harold William Cronin, our loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend passed away peacefully at home on November 6, 2023. Bill was born to Henry Dewey Cronin and Marie Catherine Buckstegge on February 13,1933, in Galesburg, Illinois. He was the sixth of seven children. After graduating from Corpus Christi High School in Galesburg, he decided to become a pharmacist like his father and went on to study Pharmacy at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. It was in Omaha that he met the love of his life, Marjorie Ann Pesek, who was a student at St. Joseph’s School of Nursing. They were married on April 7,1956, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Boone, Iowa.

Bill and Marge moved to Manhattan, Kansas, where they started their family while Bill served in the Army. Bill always had a dream to move out West, and they eventually settled in the Rogue Valley where he worked as a pharmacist for 40 years.

The greatest treasures in his life were his family and faith in God - he was a lifelong, faithful Catholic and loved his Church. He taught us how to laugh and how to see the humor in everyday living. His interest in books started when he was a child and he collected many over the years. Bill founded the Bartlett Street Bookstore in Medford, Oregon, and curated an extensive collection of books about Southern Oregon history. His other eclectic interests included raising homing pigeons, researching family history, building rural homes, planting trees, and exploring Oregon. He appreciated the wildlife and beauty that surrounded his home and often commented on how blessed he was to live in such a tremendous place.

Bill is survived by his wife Marge and their children: Marie (Gus) Eulensen, Timothy, Thomas, Paul, William, Kathleen (Tom) Wilson, Lisa (Chuck) Bock and grandchildren: Daniel, Katherine (Jacob), Madeline (Ian), Claire, Julia (Graham), Anthony, Blair, Christopher (Maris), Mary, Nicole, Matthew, Ryan and great-grandchildren: Matej, Rosemary, Ari and sister-in-law Donna Pesek. Bill is preceded in death by his parents Henry and Marie Cronin and his siblings: Edward Cronin, Helen Miller, Robert Cronin, Donald Cronin, Rosemary O’Connell, and James Cronin.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 21st, at 12:00 noon at Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church, 987 Hillview Dr., Ashland, Oregon. Prior to the service a rosary will be prayed at 11:00 am at the church. Burial will be at Hillcrest Cemetery, Medford, Oregon, at 3:00 pm.
The Cronin family wishes to express thanks for the many prayers and acts of kindness. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Bill to Magdalene Home, PO Box 255 Medford, Oregon 97501 or St. Vincent de Paul, PO Box 215 Ashland, Oregon 97520.