David William Crotty

David William Crotty passed away the evening of November 30, 2022. He was a professor of mathematics at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA from 1964-2002; receiving his doctorate from Pennsylvania State University, his masters from Boston College (where he met his wife), and his undergraduate degree from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was a strong advocate for higher education, and his family will be setting up a scholarship in his name.
David was a family man to the core. He is survived by his wife Patricia, his son David Jr. and his wife Jacqueline, and his daughter Kathleen and her husband Peter Panariello. David enjoyed visiting his four grandchildren: Brian, Kevin, Steven, and Michael, often challenging them to a pickup basketball game, a game of boccie ball, or a game of cribbage. David is also survived by his brother Patrick Crotty and many nieces and nephews and their families that he loved so much.
David had extensive interests outside of academia. He was passionate about sports, and while at U. Mass, he captained the college tennis team. He went on to become a lifelong tennis enthusiast (as a player and coach), as well as dabbling in football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, bowling and more. He coached little league baseball in Kingston, PA for many years, even after his son moved on to other sports. To the end he followed collegiate sports, always rooting for Penn State.
David was lucky enough to travel the world with his wife, sharing wonderful memories of summers in Oxford, and trips to Venice and Australia. David was also an original member of Boss McGinty's Bird Watchers, a society dedicated to studying the works of Sherlock Holmes. David was a lover of mysteries and puzzles, spending much of his retirement reading or working through puzzles of all types.
In the end, David was a kind and generous man, and the world is a better place for him being in it.