‘Lefty’ Cronic

G.A. “Lefty” Cronic died Thursday, January 13, 2011, at New Horizons North in Gainesville.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Mattie Lee Cronic; and a brother, F. Maier Cronic, M.D.
Lefty was born February 12, 1923, in Gwinnett County, but lived in Chicopee as a child. He attended Gainesville High School, received his undergraduate degree at Piedmont College and completed his master’s degree at Western Carolina University. He began his teaching career in Maysville, served as principal at Hickory Flat School before teaching mathematics at Banks County High School, Lula Elementary and East Hall High School. He completed his educational career as the principal at Clermont and Lula Elementary schools before retiring.

In addition to an educational career, Lefty attended Louisville Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and served as a Baptist minister in area churches for over 40 years. He especially enjoyed the company of those who shared his love of the Holy Scriptures.

Lefty particular enjoyed the world of sports and promoted competitions to all who knew him. He valued the hard work and discipline required of one who would choose to play a sport and believed the competitive aspect of sports helped prepare a young person for the challenges as an adult. His personal dream sport was baseball, having played in the industrial leagues in and around Gainesville and North Georgia. He had a brief career with the Atlanta Crackers in the early 1940s before enlisting with the U.S. Navy in World War II, where he served in the Pacific campaign and dutifully earned a place in the legends of our country’s “greatest generation.”

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Evelyn McDuffie Cronic, affectionately known by him as “Duff.” They established their home and raised a family of four in the Hickory Flat Community of Banks County for the last 56 years. His survivors include Eddie and Ann Payne of Spartanburg, S.C., David and Sue Cronic, Toccoa, Steve and Shanna Cronic, Gainesville, and Philip Cronic, Banks County. Also surviving are five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and one nephew, Neal Cronic, the surviving son of his late brother.

The family will host a visitation at the funeral home for family and friends beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, January, 16, with the memorial service at 3 p.m. in the chapel at Little & Davenport Funeral Home in Gainesville. Burial will be at Westview Cemetery in Lula.

The family sincerely acknowledges the excellent staff of New Horizon North for their special care and loving kindness to Lefty in his time of need during his stay.

Little & Davenport Funeral Home, Gainesville, is in charge of arrangements.