Cover photo for Karen Cronin's Obituary
Karen Cronin Profile Photo
1947 Karen 2011

Karen Cronin

January 6, 1947 — February 23, 2011

Cronin, Karen A., 64, of Elliston -- devoted to her husband, family, friends and community passed away Sunday, February 20, following an accident while snorkeling in Hawaii.

Born in 1947 in Honolulu, Hawaii, she graduated Northwestern University in 1968 and later received a Master’s in Communication from Radford University. She worked at WDBJ-7 in Roanoke and for 22 years as a video producer and radio programmer at Virginia Tech. At Virginia Tech, she served as advisor to Delta Delta Delta sorority for which she was honored as Outstanding Sorority Advisor.

Karen's legacy to eastern Montgomery County and all of the New River Valley is one of graceful and joyful service to others.

Since her retirement in 2003, she served as a full-time volunteer with the New River Valley United Way, Montgomery County Social Services board, League of Women Voters of Montgomery County and League of Women Voters of Virginia. She was a member of Chapter BD, Roanoke, of the PEO Sisterhood, a national philanthropic education organization.

She was a founding member and sustainer of the EastMont Garden Club and EastMont Arts Association, editor of The LINC Letter community newsletter for eastern Montgomery County, and a board member of the Mountain Valley Charitable Foundation.

She was a member of the EastMont Tomato Festival committee, and mentioned with particular tongue-in-cheek pride her illustrious reign as the 2009 Heirloom Tomato Queen. She was also a craft teacher for events at The Meadowbrook Center, teaching fabric and glass painting among other decorative crafts.

In honor of her volunteer service, Karen was inducted in 2009 into the inaugural class of "Leading Lights: Neighbors Helping Neighbors," a community service award for the New River Valley.

She is survived by her husband, Mike Cronin, with whom she shared her passions of tennis, travel and gardening; her mother, Vivian Rivard of Des Plaines, Illinois; her sister, Gretchen Nicholoff of Hotchkiss, Colorado; two nephews, Jason Nicholoff and Blake Nicholoff; a great-nephew and a great-niece.

A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Saturday, February 26, 2011 at The Meadowbrook Center, 267 Alleghany Spring Road, Shawsville.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Karen Cronin Legacy Fund with the Mountain Valley Charitable Foundation, P.O. Box 53, Shawsville, Virginia, 24162, or the charity of choice. Proceeds from the Karen Cronin Legacy Fund will perpetually support programs and projects in her beloved eastern Montgomery County.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Karen Cronin, please visit our flower store.

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