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| Joe Cryns holding his Great Grandson Baby Jeremiah for the first time with daughter Mary |
Joseph Cryns passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 16,
2014 in Folsom, California. He was a wonderfully easy going, loving and patient
person who charmed everyone he met or came in contact with.
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| Joe Cryns at the Japanese Tea Garden with daughter Mary, granddaughters Megan and Merehuka, daughter-in-law, son Michael and granddaughters Rangitau & Te Ruihi |
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| Joe Cryns with his Mom and his Uncle...and his first car! He always loved to drive and go places. |
Joseph Cryns was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 15,
1933 – the youngest in his family and the only child born in the United States.
His parents migrated to the United States from Holland and Germany in 1932.
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| Joe Cryns' Dad was a famous baker |
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| Joe and his best friend -- they even wore matching outfits! |
His
passion was always movies and the theatre, and he often read comic books out
loud to his mother dramatically with voices and accents. He loved the radio and
looked forward to going to the movies every week – which cost a nickel. It’s no
surprise that his first job was as an usher at the movie theatre when he was
only 14.
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| Joseph Cryns and Mary Lane Cryns on their wedding day (with Joe's Mom, Ellen, his sister Anne Marie and brother-in-law Dick) |
In 1956, he met and married Mary F. Lane and had three children. In August
1962, he and his family moved to San Francisco from the Midwest, and they loved
it so much they never looked back. Joseph Cryns’ true passion was acting. He
acted in many plays and musicals over the years well into his 70’s,
including: Little Mary Sunshine, Arsenic
and Old Lace, Bell, Book and Candle, Bye Bye Birdie, Oliver!, Anything Goes,
MouseTrap, Ten Little Indians, 1940’s Radio Hour and many more productions.
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| Joe Cryns with his kids -- holding Jennifer - with Mary and Michael |
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| San Francisco in 1962 - Dad Joe Cryns with his kids, Mary, Michael and Jennifer |
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| in the old neighborhood (Inner sunset San Francisco) 2004 -- with Joe Cryns, son Michael, daughter Mary, Grandson Stevie and Granddaughter Megan |
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| the infamous Pasquale's Pizza WALL Photo! 2004, San Francisco |
He was also an avid lover of baseball and sports and began
attending baseball games in 1945, where he initially rooted for the Chicago
Cubs. In 1962, when he moved to San Francisco, he became a San Francisco Giants
fan. He kept score of every play of each game he watched for over 40 years. He
also was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on movies of any era and 1940’s
big band music. He could tell you what year a movie was made, who was in it and
even name the songs played.
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| Joe Cryns wearing his lucky hat (with daughter Mary and granddaughter Melissa) |
Joseph Cryns always remembered and kept track of everyone’s
birthdays – his kids, his grandkids, nieces, nephews and their kids and close
friends and called to wish everyone a happy birthday on their special day. He
taught his children and grandchildren that life was filled with adventure and
fun and took them to movies, theatres, shows, concerts and day trips.
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| Joe Cryns with daughter Mary in the late 1980's - Sunnyvale, CA |
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| Joe Cryns with daughter Mary and grandchildren Stevie, Melissa and Jeremy |
He is survived by his three children: Mary Lane Cryns, Michael Lane (with Sharon
Heta) and Jennifer Kruse (with Pascale Webb), seven grandchildren: Stephen M. Vasquez (with Liezl Tamayo),
Melissa M. Vasquez, Jeremiah C. Vasquez (with Jennifer Long), Megan Hutchinson,
Merehuka Heta-Lane, Rangitau Heta-Lane and Te Ruihi Heta Lane; and two great
grandchildren: Jeremiah L.C. Vasquez and
Iyumni Good Lance – along with his best long-time friend Sherry Kretzer and so
many nephews and nieces and people who loved him.
At the end of “1940’s Radio Hour,” the stage goes dark and
then a spotlight shines on “Pops,” the only one left in the radio studio. He looks
at the audience and smiles radiantly, charming everyone. He performs a lovely dance
shuffle and then sashays off the stage. Everyone gives him a standing ovation
and applauds wildly. That's how we’ll always remember the late and great Joseph
Cryns.
A special ceremony celebrating the life of Joseph Cryns will take place
at Baker’s Beach in San Francisco on Sunday, October 26 at 10:30 a.m. always
his favorite city, with a special lunch at Pasquale’s Pizza on 8th
Ave. & Irving St. afterwards. Family and friends are all invited. Please
contact Mary Lane Cryns at melodywrites57@gmail.com
for details and feel free to share any memories of Joseph Cryns you might have.
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| Four Generation Picture with Joe Cryns, daughter Mary, granddaughter Melissa, d-i-l Pascale, grandson Stevie, great grandson baby Jeremiah, d-i-l Jen, daughter Jennifer, grandson Jeremiah |
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| Joe Cryns' 80th Birthday Celebration in Placerville, CA with a horse, Megan, Stevie, Melissa, Sherry, Terry, Baby Jeremiah, Jeremy, Joe Cryns and Mary |
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| Joseph Cryns' 80th Birthday Party Celebration (Melissa, Liezl, Megan, Mary, Jeremiah, baby Jeremiah, Jennifer, Stevie, Pascale, Joe Cryns and Terry |
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| Joe Cryns with grandson and great grandson |
