William E. "Bill" Cromer Jr.

1944 - 2023

William E. (Bill) Cromer, Jr.

Bill Cromer passed away peacefully on March 16, 2023. He was born On April 7, 1944, in Lowell, Massachusetts to the late William and Betty (Schiewetz) Cromer.

His sister, Carol Cromer Anson, and his brother, Kenneth R. Cromer, predeceased him. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lucia (Luci) Kessler Cromer, his three daughters-Julie Cromer Young (Alan), Hollen Cromer Mitchell (Lance), and Katherine Cromer Brock-and his three young grandchildren-Will and Cora Young, and Luke Mitchell.

Bill grew up living in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Ohio. He attended 3 high schools in 4 years, graduating from Rocky River High School in Ohio. He attended the Engineering School at Duke University and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Case Western Reserve University. He received his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Memphis. He worked for H.K. Ferguson in Cleveland, Ohio as an architect, General Electric Company in Cleveland, Ohio as a facilities planner for the Lamp Division, and Drake Sheahan Stewart and Dougall in Chicago, Illinois as a consultant in marketing and physical distribution. He moved his family to Memphis, Tennessee to work for a very young company named Federal Express in 1981, and he retired as a Senior Engineering Consultant and Senior Project Manager in 2008.

Bill was devoted to his family, and he was thrilled to be a father and grandfather. But, the next love of his life was music. He started playing French Horn in high school and then with the Duke University Marching Band. He sang in the Duke Men's Glee Club and the University Chorale and Meister Singers at Western Reserve, and his strong bass voice could be heard for over 30 years in the Chancel Choir at Germantown United Methodist Church, where he was a member of the Fellowship Forum class. He also sang barbershop with the Memphis Men of Harmony Barbershop Chorus. He started and developed the Handbell Choirs at Germantown United Methodist Church, and those choirs thrive today. He also enjoyed live theatre, and he and Luci normally attended 20 productions each year-of course his favorites were the Musicals.

Bill was always ready to fly, whether it was with Luci's father in his private plane, jump-seating on a FedEx plane for business, or on his flight simulator computer program. He also loved playing with his grandchildren, mostly on his computer, where he could play with them wherever they lived. A telephone call from his daughters or the grandchildren always made his day!

Bill was a man of integrity, wit, intelligence, patience, and a determination to live life as he wanted, never complaining, always with a smile for others. He is greatly missed by his family and those whose lives he impacted, and there were many.

A musical celebration of Bill's life will be April 29, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Germantown United Methodist Church, 2331 S. Germantown Road, in Germantown, TN. Visitation and a reception in the Fellowship Hall will immediately follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Music Ministry Fund at Germantown United Methodist Church, 2331 S. Germantown Road, Germantown TN 38138 or "In memory of Bill Cromer" to Playhouse on the Square, 66 Cooper Street, Memphis, TN 38104.