Carylin Cronrath

Caryln Cronrath left this earth with a high kick and a smile Sept. 24, 2011. Born in Brookline, Mass., on Aug. 21, 1922, she spent 89 years bringing joy, laughter, possibility and love to all she met. Perennially happy and optimistic, she found life to be fabulous every day and spent all of her time trying to help others see the fun of living.

She married H.W. "Chuck" Cronrath shortly after WW II, and they began a life in hotel management. When they moved to Mountain Shadows in 1963, it was determined that she should no longer work, so in 1965 she went to college, graduating from Arizona State University six years later with a doctorate. Thus began her new life, at the age of 49, as an international management consultant working in Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Liberia and finally back to Arizona as the head of Ramada Hotels management training worldwide.

Whether driving her 1970 Porsche Targa at 100 mph through Europe or sitting on the floor playing crash cars with grandson Brett, she was always innovative, bringing new ideas to all her endeavors. She lived, she loved, she laughed and she left. For all who read this, please honor her life by making someone smile or laugh today.