Max H. Crohn

Max. H. Crohn, Jr, 89, passed away at home on December 8, 2023.
Max is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 64 years, Barbara (Jean Morris) Crohn and leaves behind his children, David (Kara Shea Davis Crohn) who lives in Riverside, CA, Randy, who lives in Atlanta, GA, and Edie (Russell Hopfenberg) who lives in Carrboro, NC. Max also leaves behind four grandchildren, Oliver and Ezra Crohn of Riverside, CA, and Coleman and Emily Hopfenberg of Carrboro, NC.
Max H. Crohn, Jr. was born and raised in Asheville, NC. He worked his way through college, graduating in 3 ½ years from UNC Chapel Hill where he was President of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and a member of the varsity lacrosse team. He joined the Navy serving as an A3D-1 (VAH-1) bombardier/navigator on the USS Forrestal during the Suez Crisis. He graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and served as a law clerk for District Court Judge John Sirica and then as a Federal Trade Commission attorney. Max then returned with his family to North Carolina where he served as Board Secretary and General Counsel of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, NC. There, he was active in the Kiwanis Club, the North Carolina Bar Association, and the Temple Emanuel Jewish Community. Max was very active in civic activities such as serving as Chair of the Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, an office he used to support the peaceful integration of Forsyth County Public Schools in 1970. From 1972-1974 he also chaired the Forsyth County Economic Development Corporation that supported black-owned businesses. After leaving R.J. Reynolds, he moved to Hastings-on-Hudson, NY and joined the Jacob, Medinger, and Finnegan law firm in New York City, before retiring with Barbara to Chapel Hill, NC.
Max enjoyed skiing, was a life-long tennis enthusiast, and loved UNC basketball. He and Barbara hosted vacations for extended family members and friends to Emerald Isle, NC for many decades. His last years were spent at the Carolina Meadows retirement community in Chapel Hill, NC where he actively volunteered reviewing films for the community.