Final Salute

Bruce A. Cromack
NORTHFIELD — Bruce Alton Cromack died on Feb. 27, 2019 at home in Northfield. He was born in Greenfield on Dec. 2, 1929, to Minnie (Messer) and Theodore Cromack.
Bruce attended the Brick School in East Colrain. Growing up he learned the carpentry trade from his father and eventually left school at Arms Academy early to work alongside his father building many homes, barns, and other buildings in the area.
In 1950 Bruce enlisted in the U.S. Navy and proudly served as a member of MCB-6, the Navy’s Mobil Construction Battalion.
As a seabee, Bruce continued to hone his skills as a builder and contractor, setting up a lifelong love of building. During his career, he had the pleasure of working with his father, brothers, brothers-in-law, son, sons-in-law, and many others whom he mentored. His children remember him researching building methods and design at Old Deerfield before beginning various restoration projects, work he was particularly passionate about. One of those “passion projects” and a monument to his skill is the Solomon Temple barn which, under his supervision, was disassembled, moved, and carefully reconstructed at the Heath Fairgrounds, where it stands today.
Bruce was married at the Heath Union Church on Jan. 31, 1953 to Catherine Ann Burrington and then built a house in Colrain, where they lived until moving their family to Heath in 1962. While raising five children, Bruce served the Heath Union Church as a deacon and member of the Property and Search committees, as well as the town of Heath as a member of the planning board, town lister, and tireless poll worker. Many will remember him as an active member of the Heath Grange and Heath Historical Society.
A lifelong hunter and longtime member of the Ashfield Rod and Gun Club, Bruce hunted bobcat and raccoon with his father and later, deer, moose, bear, and turkeys with friends and family. He always looked forward to his annual hunting trip to Maine with Russ Denison.
Bruce and Catherine retired to Erving in the mid-1990s, becoming active in the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Northfield, working the polls in Erving, and enjoying the company of family and friends, rarely missing an opportunity to have dinner with their children or to attend a grandchild’s school event. More recently, he has enjoyed welcoming each great-grandchild as they arrived.
Bruce was predeceased by his wife Catherine, his parents, his sister Mae (Ed) Moore, and brother Dana (Patricia) Cromack. He is survived by his companion, Linda Leavis of Northfield; his brothers Theodore (Mary) Cromack of Shelburne and Duane (Janice) Cromack of Amherst; his five children — Cynthia (Allan) Smith of Shelburne, Debra (Charles) Washer of Shelburne, Weston (Karen) Cromack of Bremerton, Washington, Lisa (Norman) Davenport of Shelburne, and Brenda (James) Gallagher of Okeechobee, Florida; his 12 grandchildren — Daina, Elise, Maegan, Nathan, Fredrick, Denise, Jennifer, Richard, Jonathan, Brian, Claire and Tranae and his 14 great-grandchildren — Mason, Connor, Isaiah, Evangeline, Zoey, HannahGrace, Garrett, Riley, Logan, Josiah, Rhett, Nicholas, Garth and Teddy. He also leaves Linda’s children Kim (Steve) Collins, Leslie (Steve) Kellogg, and Caralyn (Craig) Ballou and five grandchildren — Stephanie, Matt, Dana, Elizabeth, and Eric.
In lieu of flowers, consider a memorial contribution to Hospice of Franklin County, 329 Conway St, Suite 2, Greenfield, MA 01301; Northfield EMS, care of Mark Fortier, 579 Mount Hermon Station Rd, Northfield, MA 01360; or Trinitarian Congregational Church Memorial Fund, 147 Main Street, Northfield, MA 01301.
Visiting hours will be held Sunday, March 3 at Smith Kelleher Funeral in Shelburne Falls. A celebration of life will be held at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, 147 Main Street, Northfield on Monday, March 4. We invite you to wear Bruce’s favorite color, purple, to honor him.