Joan Potthoff Cronin

1942 - 2022

Cronin, Joan Potthoff

passed away at the age of 79 on Sept. 22, 2022, in St. Louis after succumbing to cancer.

She is survived by daughter Juliet Adeline Cronin of St. Louis, MO; daughter Bridget Cronin Smith (Kenny) of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren Anne Gordon, Robert, and Kenny; daughter Roxanne Cronin Oesch (Dave) of St. Louis; grandchildren Adeline and Henry; and sister Ruth Potthoff Stewart (Don) of Bland, MO. Joan was predeceased by her husband, John Robert Cronin.

Joan was born Oct. 11, 1942, in St. Louis to Willis and Adeline Potthoff. She grew up in Creve Coeur and attended Lutheran High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where she met John. He encouraged her to apply to law school, leading her to also earn her Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law. Joan and John raised their three daughters in Webster Groves, where the girls attended Webster schools and local Lutheran schools.

Joan was a trailblazer for women in law and banking. She was the first woman to be hired as an attorney at Lewis Rice and the first woman to be an assistant dean at Washington University School of Law. As one of the few women to work as lawyer in the mid-1970s, Joan struggled to find work appropriate maternity wear. She designed her own maternity work clothes and hired a seamstress to sew them. Her career took her to the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, which she joined as a senior attorney. While in the legal department, her work included an assignment at the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., managing through the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s. Later she was promoted to General Counsel, the first woman to serve in that position at any Federal Reserve Bank in the nation. After a few years, she was appointed the Senior Vice President of Banking Supervision and Regulation, again the first woman to serve in that position at any Federal Reserve Bank.

Joan was a member of the Missouri chapter of the International Women's Forum and served as president of the board of Girls Inc. of St. Louis. She also served on the board of the Lutheran High School Association and the Finance Advisory Committee of the Webster Groves School District. She was appointed to serve on the History Museum Subdistrict board, which is part of the Zoo Museum District.

Music was one of Joan's hobbies. While in high school, she played the organ at services at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Brentwood as well as at a Lutheran mission church in south St. Louis. More recently, she sang in the choir at Trinity Lutheran Church in Soulard, where she was a member.

Joan was adventurous, and she traveled extensively. Whether kayaking in the fjords of Norway, floating in the salt water of the Dead Sea, canoeing through the Okavango Delta in Botswana, or walking along the Great Wall of China, Joan loved to explore and learn about different cultures. One of her greatest pleasures was traveling with her daughters, giving them the opportunity to experience places such as Russia's Peterhof Palace and the Taj Mahal.

Joan was married to John for 55 years. Even while battling cancer, she was a devoted wife, making sure he had quality care and companionship through a long illness.

Services: A joint memorial service will be held for Joan and her recently deceased husband, John, on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 Soulard Street, St. Louis, MO, 63104.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Compass Fund for Lutheran high schools in St. Louis: Lutheran High School Association Compass Fund, 5401 Lucas and Hunt Road, St. Louis, MO, 63121 or online at https://www.lncrusaders.org/give-now.