Dr. William J. Crooks, IV

Our beloved husband and father, Dr. William J. Crooks IV, passed away at his home in Plantation FL, surrounded by his wife Jane, daughter Noelle, and son-in-law Adam.

Bill grew up in Clinton NJ, the son of Dr. William J. Crooks III and Virginia Y. Crooks. He received his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Notre Dame and his M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine. After completing his medical training at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton MA, Dr. Crooks worked as a primary care internist in Worcester MA at the Fallon Clinic from 1985 - 2009 and at UMass from 2009 – 2019. Bill was a dedicated doctor, a talented diagnostician, and popular with patients and staff.

Bill met Jane at Notre Dame in the Biology Lab. They shared classes, milkshakes and Cokes and married at the university in 1982. Lifetime Domers, they returned to the school often to attend football games and dedicated their fall Saturdays to cheering on the Irish football team.

Bill’s greatest delight was his family. He loved both Jane and Noelle immensely. He supported Jane’s teaching and dancing. Noelle attended Notre Dame for her BA. (There wasn’t much of an alternative.) A generous and loving father, Bill was extremely proud when she became a professor of psychology at Broward College. He was thrilled to walk her down the aisle at her wedding to Adam.

Bill was an avid golfer and musician. He was a familiar presence in the Boston/Worcester music scene, as the drummer for such bands as the Bad Pennies and Good Question and as the ‘Rock Doc’ for some of the most celebrated rock and roll bands. Bill was delighted to meet so many talented musicians and receive drum lessons from some of the finest drummers in the world.

Bill will be deeply missed by his family and friends for his lifelong passions for The Who, Springsteen, and Notre Dame, for his kindness, for lunch with friends and for his sly sense of humor. Memorial service will be private.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sweet Relief Musician Fund, which “provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing physical or mental health issues, disability, or age-related problems.”  https://www.sweetrelief.org