Rita D. Cronin

Rita was born in Saranac Lake on July 28, 1936. She was the daughter of Wayne Darrah and Edith Dufore. She married her sweetheart Jimmy Cronin on Sept. 3, 1955.

Rita grew up in Saranac Lake where she lived with her family and enjoyed fun times with her longtime friend Mickey Ryan Rascoe. Rita and Jim moved away to Syracuse but came back to Bloomingdale to raise their daughter. In retirement, they moved to their dream home on Chazy Lake. Rita worked for Ayres Insurance Agency. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters, the Bloomingdale Ladies Auxiliary, and spent time as the tax collector for the town of St. Armand. Rita was always smiling and friendly. She loved to strike up conversations with anyone she met and she was generous to any cause that she came upon. Rita and Jim spent years motorcycling with friends, cross country skiing, and boating with family on Chazy Lake. She enjoyed cooking big meals for her family and took many shopping trips with the girls over the years. She loved to dance and you could always find her reading and doing crossword puzzles. Dear to her heart were the winter months spent in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. She loved the ocean and everything about it. “Nana” as she was known to most, loved spending time with her girls and finally welcomed her second great-grandson into her heart this year. She was known for honesty and generosity, and her kindness overflowed to anyone she came in contact with. She is finally back with the love of her life and at peace.

She was predeceased by her husband Jim, her parents, and two brothers: Frank and Ralph. She is survived by her daughter Tracy Hagar and companion Don Barton of Plattsburgh, granddaughter Rebecca Hamilton and husband David, granddaughter Courtney Lewis and her husband Jeremy, two great-grandsons Elijah Hamilton and Nolan Lewis, a brother-in-law Robert Cronin and his wife Phyllis, and cousin Cindy Micho and her husband Bob. She also leaves behind many beloved nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake. There will be no calling hours due to the current restrictions. A celebration of her life will take place at a later date.

Friends wishing to remember Rita may make memorial donations to a charity of your choice in her name. Family and friends may also share memories and sign the online guestbook at fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.