Mary Alice (Fay) Cronin

Mary Alice (Fay) Cronin, of Waltham, died Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at her son's home with her family at her side. She was 79. 

Mary Alice Fay was born December 11, 1944 in Waltham, a daughter of the late Edward and Mary (Maher) Fay. A lifelong Waltham resident, she grew up on High Street and was a graduate with the Class of 1963 from Waltham High School.  She married William F. Cronin in 1974. Married for 33 years, Bill died on November 16, 2008.

She worked for many years beginning in the late 1980’s in the cafeteria for Waltham Public Schools including Kennedy Middle School and Waltham High School, retiring in 2010. 

Mary Alice was diagnosed with a rare disease called Corticobasal Degeneration in 2022. She transitioned to living at Waltham Crossings where she quickly and easily adapted to her new community of living. As her health declined she moved to her son Dan’s home and was wonderfully tended to by her family and her nurse aide Nasim Benjamin whom she adored. 

Mary enjoyed traveling to Maine, Florida and South Carolina after retirement as well as spending time on Cape Cod and with her grandchildren. She was a devoted member of Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church. 

She leaves her children, Cynthia C. Nickerson (Matthew) of Fort Mill, South Carolina, Kathleen M. Cronin (Nicola Nicolazzo) of Newton and Daniel P. Cronin (Danene) of Waltham; her grandchildren, William Nickerson, Caroline Cronin, Michael Cronin and Nicholas Nicolazzo; her siblings, Virginia O'Brien (Donald) of Arlington, Gerald Fay (Regina) of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, Priscilla Edmunds (Gerard) of Waltham and the late Robert Fay (late Betty); her sister-in-law, Anne Cronin of Rockport, Maine; also survived by many nieces & nephews, extended local family as well as relatives in Florida and Maine. 

Family and friends will honor and remember Mary Alice’s life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rt. 20) Waltham on Monday, January 22^nd from 4 to 7 p.m. , and again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning before leaving in procession to Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church, 880 Trapelo Road, Waltham where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m.  Burial will follow in Mount Feake Cemetery, Waltham.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215-5450 or www.dana-farber.org