Ronald Herbert Crosby

Portland- Ron Crosby, 76, was waved home July 24th following complications with lung cancer. Father, son, brother, Papa, Coach, and friend, he was born in Portland on December 13th, 1949 to Herbert W. Crosby, Sr. and Joan (Hanson) Crosby as their second child. Ron grew up in Scarborough and at age 10 moved to Portland on Ocean Ave. He was an altar boy and learned to sight read piano and vocal arrangements, as well as a soloist for the choir at Trinity Church on Forest Avenue. In school, he was elected the “King” of Lincoln Junior High School in 1965, graduating from Deering High School in 1968 with plans to attend Florida State for dentistry. Instead he completed a semester at the University of Maine Portland (USM) as life had other plans.

What Is Life: “ And tell me/ Who am I without you by my side?”(George Harrison)

He married Brigida Reali Barnes in 1968, and they welcomed their first son, Michael, in 1969. As a young couple they quickly added Paul and Ron, Jr. and struggled to find their value as a couple, separating 5 years later. Importantly, they coparented through their children’s adult lives, respecting one another and discovered that value over time.

Settling in Portland’s North Deering where he lived out his life, Ron raised “the boys.” Those early years as a single parent, with a 3,4, and 5 year-old, and only 25 himself, had struggles, but he bloomed as a parent, loving his boys dearly and daily. Resourcefully, he figured a way to send his kids to the fledgling Breakwater school where they were nurtured by the staff and “fostered” by Patrica Smith and her wonderful family. And although he had little choice, the other kids and their parents of North Deering helped raise them, as he in turn, raised many in the neighborhood, too. He was also indebted and grateful to his own parents, our Nana and Brampa, for their love and support and whom we adored beyond definition.

In 1969, Ron began his career in hardware for Phil Cook, whom he likened as a second father and mentor, at Cook’s Country Stores-later Ace Hardware, father of his life-long best friend Rob (Rab) Cook. He worked mainly at the store in Gray, Maine for the next 56 years. He loved working in Gray/New Gloucester and for the people of the community who in-turn loved him back. This relationship defined his adult working life as personal, familial and a point of pride for him.

As the boys grew, he began his coaching career in little league at Little League 9 with his next-door neighbor and friend, Roger Borelli, and his 4 sons for Vaughn Street Variety, and making a life-long friend with Laura (Wallace) Slade. He then moved on to coach team Pepsi. As he watched his boys age-out, he continued to coach and won 3 city championships, first with his youngest son, Ronnie, and eventually completing a “three-pete.” He also managed and coached several All-Star teams with dear friend Ron Farr, a friendship lasting over 50 years. Ron coached little league for 24 years. “Baseball-as-life” was an avocation and the many lives he touched have been shared by players over a generation- a point of inspiration for his boys and one that displays distinguished magnanimity.

Ron supported and watched his boys graduate high school, university, and then begin their own families where he became “Papa.” Beginning with his step-grandson, Derrick, and first-born grandson, Mathew, Ron immersed himself in the growth and life experiences of 8 grandchildren, attending countless dance competitions, tennis, soccer, softball, football, basketball, and baseball games over decades. His gift of “Papa-Wednesday” would have him gather them all from home, school, or daycare and spend entire days exploring: apple & strawberry picking, listening and learning about the Beatles, driving to see cousins, his sister Karen or extended family, MacDonald’s, Cumberland fairs, Kettle Cove, Baxter Park, frog ponds, climbing trees, Fort Hill, where they would be “On top of the World,” or simply listening to an audio book and driving to Brunswick for nap time, showing them serendipity in the “long-cut.” He relished his second go-round as the indefatigable man of joy and happiness and love, dropping them back home dirty, tired, and simply thrilled to be. As each grandkid had their special time with him, he made each feel as though they were Papa’s favorite. And each was.

His boys can not be more grateful for their unique time growing up at the house on Jersey Ave and the state streets of our neighborhood. Summer nights, windows open playing the radio and records: the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen, and much more, winters listening to Johnny Most & Celtic games, or listening to Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story on the drive to see Nan & Bramp. He taught us so much about family, how to golf and to ski, and the countless nights at the little league field have remained formative memories for us. He cut our hair for years, popped popcorn every day for school lunches and on Friday and Saturday nights for movies and shows. We watched reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and My Three Sons as testimony to values he hoped we would connect. We laugh at our years of “Charlie Brown” Christmas trees and we are amazed as we picture him shopping and wrapping gifts for 3 kids on Christmas Eve. For 10 consecutive years, we four woke on Christmas morning, opened gifts, and drove to the mountains for a day of skiing, watching these places grow to what they are today, knowing how intimate and special they were for us then.

So, what is life? Is it what happens when you’re busy making other plans, as John Lennon remarked, or the love you take being equal to the love you make, per Paul McCartney? Is love all you need? We boys hope we’ve used “our heads for more than a hat rack,” Dad. We hope “to see you ‘round-like a doughnut,” but knowing we will see you “Here, There, and Everywhere” even as “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”

Ron was predeceased by his parents, Herbert & Joan Crosby, his brother Robert Crosby, sister Karen Sinclair, and step-grandson Derrick Cote. He will be dearly missed by his family, Herbert Crosby, PhD. and his wife Toni and their kids, sister Kathy Locke and her son, as well as brother in-law, David Sinclair, and his kids. He will be forever cherished and is survived by his son Michael, his wife, Kelli, and kids Jordan and Peyton; his son Paul and partner Cathy Candelmo and kids Mathew, Shawn, and Haley; his son Ronald Herbert, Jr. and kids Taylor and Grant, Ron’s wife, Pamela, and her kids Makenzie and Kameryn Lydon; Shelley Blake, Lisa Falardeau, Amy Taggart, and their families; Judy Cook, and countless players, friends and fans.

Friends and family are invited to A Time of Visitation at Jones, Rich, Barnes funeral home at 199 Woodfords Street Portland, ME on Saturday August 8th from 1-5 PM. This will be followed by a reception for refreshments at Keeley’s Banquet Center at 178 Warren Avenue, Portland from 6-9 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Portland Little League, the American Cancer Society, or the Red Cross, where Ron’s giving heart has donated over 10 gallons of blood.