RICHARD L CROMARTIE's Obituary
MEMORIES OF MY FATHER WHO WAS OUR HERO AND THE WIND BENEATH OUR FEET
MAJOR R.L. CROMARTIE JR.
PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON SATURDAY JULY 15,2017
He was born on 9-22-21 in Garland, N.C., son of R.L. Cromartie, Sr., and Rosalind Roberts Cromartie and predeceased by Emma Harmon Cromartie his wife and Jane Cromartie Williams his sister. Family survivors are daughters Barbara Dawn Cromartie, Starr Miller, grand children Peter Leech, Andrew Leech, Katie Leech, and Richard Leech, son-in-law Jeff Miller, daughters-in-law Kate Leech and Shannon Howes. He is also survived by great grandchildren Caroline Leech, twins Emma and Henry Leech, Gwendolyn Leech Howes, and Evelyn Leech Howes.
After graduating from Duke “42, Dick was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the Marines and assigned to F Company 2nd Battalion 25th Regiment. Dick made 4 D-Day landings Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. He was wounded but never evacuated. Dick was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with “V” for valor and the Purple Heart. He retired as a Major U.S.M.C.R. He returned home, entered law school at U of N.C and married his love Emma in the Duke Chapel where she sang in the choir and glee club when they were both attending Duke.
In 1946, they moved to San Francisco where Dick was given one of the first Coro Scholarships to study municipal government. Afterwards, Dick continued his law studies at Hastings College of Law and University of San Francisco where he received his JD degree. He then joined Crown Zellerbach Paper Co. and was transferred to Chicago in 1957 to open a regional office.
They bought a home in a northwest Chicago development called Lincolnshire. Dick and Emma started a newspaper “The Lincolnshire News” and led a successful campaign to incorporate the area into the Village of Lincolnshire. Dick founded the Lincolnshire Swim Club and Adlai Stevenson High School and served on the first board of Trustees.
In 1961 Dick joined John Nuveen & Co. to introduce a nationwide product, “Nuveen Tax-exempt Unit Investment Trust” to stock and bond brokers. Dick traveled to nearly every state and was sent to Miami to open an office and to hire a sales force for the southeastern and southwestern U.S.A.
He and Emma made Key Biscayne their home. Dick soon became active in community affairs, joined the Key Biscayne’s for Responsive Government an organization that led to the incorporation of the Village of Key Biscayne in 1991, In 1996 Dick was a speaker at the first Veteran Memorial Service on Key Biscayne. He was asked to organize an American Legion Post on Key Biscayne. Three months later the American Legion Key Biscayne Post 374 was formed with Dick as its first Commander. IN 2013 THE POST WAS RENAMED RICHARD L. CROMARTIE AMERICAN LEGION POST 374.
He was life member of the Marine Reserve Officers Association, served on the board of the Army-Navy Club of Coral Gables, President of the Rotary International Club of Key Biscayne, Rotarian of the year in 1994 and Paul Harris Fellow. He was a long-time member of the Key Biscayne Yacht Club.
Dick in the last couple of years continued to enjoy his Legion events and meetings. He started a veteran’s breakfast group at the Crandon Golf Course every Tuesday which he rarely missed. He made a memorable “Honor Flight” with 99 veterans to see all the veteran memorials in Washington D.C., and Senator Bob Doyle and his wife greeted them. Several Legion members helped created a DVD on Dick’s military career in the South Pacific titled “An Awakened Giant’. Dick spoke to several high school students who viewed it and answered questions about it. He loved those moments.
Dick was baptized a Southern Baptist. His strong Christian faith served him well throughout his life. Despite the horrors of war, he experienced with the Marines in W.W.II, Dick was a peaceful compassionate man. What success he enjoyed, he always attributed to others. He was a humble man who loved people more than things. He wanted his life to make a difference. He will be remembered by his many friends and accomplishments on Key Biscayne and in Chicago.
Services for Major Richard L. Cromartie will be held Saturday July 29th at 4 p.m. at the Key Biscayne Community Church on 355 Glenridge Road, Key Biscayne. In lieu of flowers, donations made to the R.L. Cromartie American Legion Post 374 would be appreciated.
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