Dexter F. “Dusty” Cronin, age 68, a longtime resident of Winchester, passed away unexpectedly on September 8, 2023. He was the beloved husband for 47 years of Joan A. (Pedi) Cronin.
Born in Woburn, Dusty was the son of the late John F. and Elizabeth C. (Brown) Cronin. He was raised at 403 Pearl St. in Reading and graduated from the Northeast Vocational High School in 1973.
Dusty worked at multiple engineering firms in the Greater Boston area until his retirement. In his spare time, he was active in the Woburn Sportsmen’s Association and taught a firearms safety course. He also volunteered his time at the Middlesex Deputy Sherriff’s Association. He had a steadfast respect for veterans, especially for his cousin who is a disabled army veteran, Jeff Varney. Dusty will be remembered as a loyal patriot.
He had a passion for being outdoors; whether he was working on a new project in the driveway, hiking in the woods with Teddy and Sammie, or floating in the Saco in Conway NH, you could always find him enjoying the fresh air. It didn’t matter if he was driving, snowmobiling or biking somewhere, every day and activity was an adventure.
He loved meeting new people and exchanging stories, cooking up a batch of taco soup, and was always reading and learning something new. But most importantly, he was devoted to his family and treasured his time spent with Joan, his children and grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, Joan, Dusty is lovingly survived by his children, Christopher F. Cronin and his wife Erin, of Billerica, Nicole J. Wiswall and her husband Maguire of Burlington. He was the devoted grandfather of C.J. and Jack Cronin, and Mack Wiswall. He also leaves behind his siblings: Michael Cronin and his wife Angela, of Medford, Laurie Zubricki and her husband Thomas of Nashua, NH, Thomas Cronin and his wife Catherine of Newton, NH, Mary Kate Ricci and her husband Michael of Intervale, NH and Matthew Cronin and his wife Patricia of Illinois. He is further survived by many nieces and nephews.
Visiting Hours will be held at the Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St., Winchester, on Friday, Sept. 15, from 4-7PM, and again on Saturday, September 16 at 9AM, followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Mary’s Church, 155 Washington St., Winchester, at 10AM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Burial will follow in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Homeland Heroes Foundation https://www.homelandheroesfoundation.org.