Jeremiah, known as Jerry, was born in Cork, Ireland on 18th December 1934 as the first born of Eileen and Timothy Cronin. He met his future wife Bettina (known as Betty) in the park near their home in Cornwall Crescent when he pumped up her bicycle tyres. The year was 1949 she was 13 and he was 14 and still in short trousers! He attended Salesian Catholic College in Battersea and Betty another local grammar school.

He was physically fit and a good athlete and boxer. Jerry and his friends created an Olympic style running track on a disused bomb site! He grew up with 5 siblings: Paddy, Mary, John, Eddy and Gertie. He had many adventures with his two friends Billy and Tommy and the trio named themselves ‘the three musketeers’. Later his youngest sister Elizabeth, known at Bet, joined the family. Sadly Bet and Paddy are no longer with us today and this was a source of continued sadness for Jerry, as the eldest brother. We remember them and Eileen and Tim, his parents today.

Following the death of his best friend – who drowned on a scout camp – Jerry spent some of his school days travelling on the circle line underground reading anything he could, saddened by the loss of his friend. He left school at 15 and found himself an apprenticeship at a local printers.

At 21 he was deferred for national service - he worked in Air Force admin in Hertfordshire. During this time he married Betty, his childhood sweetheart, and they had their first and only child, Alison in May, 1958. In 1959 the Cronin family moved to a shared house in Clacton-on-Sea and the family have lived in Clacton until today.

Once settled in their new family home Jerry started work for a printing firm and took a keen interest in their union activities – becoming the ‘father of the chapel’. He retired in 1988. Jerry enjoyed his garden and being at home and listening to the radio or music: - Irish, country and western, jazz. Jerry always enjoyed visits from his three grandchildren - Cathy, Hannah and Michael as they were growing up and all the other children in his family who would play in his garden. He always loved children and animals and cared for a various stray cats earning him the title, Grandad Cats!

Jerry celebrated his 58th wedding anniversary in November this year. He leaves behind his wife and daughter, three grandchildren, two sisters and two brothers and 18 nephews and nieces and 32 grand nephews and nieces and… 2 cats!

Until recently Jerry was in good physical health and took pleasure in roaming around his jungle of a garden and tending to the plants. He was a proud and protective man - proud of his wife, daughter and grandchildren and his large, wider, family. He always had a special bond with his youngest brother Eddy. Family was everything to him and he was a kind, generous, sometimes troubled, reflective man who weathered life’s storms as best he could with fortitude and a strong sense of humour. His Auntie Mary used to say ‘even as a boy…he was a deep thinker!’
Life won’t ever be quite the same for his family and those who knew him well and he will be missed as a warm and funny, sometimes difficult, but loving husband, Dad, grandfather, brother and Uncle. An hour before he passed away he was joking with, thanking and teasing the paramedics, whilst refusing to go with them in the ambulance. He reminded his daughter recently that, as hard as life sometimes got, and however much he might grumble, he loved all his family very much whatever he might say!!!
The light of a star continues to shine long after the star itself is gone.

Be at peace now Jerry


Death
If I should die before the rest of you,
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone.
Nor, when I’m gone, speak in a Sunday voice,
But be the usual selves that I have known.
Weep if you must,
Parting is hell.
But life goes on,
So…….. sing as well.
Joyce Grenfell, actress and writer (1910 – 1979)