Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Cronin.
Thomas, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in the funeral business. My grandfather Thomas Callanan opened the then Callanan Funeral Home on Main St in Hopkinton in 1889 when there were no nearby funeral homes and funeral services were usually held in the home of the deceased. Our funeral home remains family-owned and operated today and it is the oldest business in our town.
My grandfather initially used horse-drawn hearses to transport the deceased. Later he rented automotive hearses from Boyle’s Taxi in Framingham. He handled arrangements for Ashland’s first soldier killed in the Spanish-American War in 1898.
When my grandfather passed away in 1960 at the age of 93, he was the oldest funeral director in Massachusetts and the oldest businessman in Hopkinton.
The business was then taken over by my uncle T. Francis Callanan Jr., who had worked in the business since 1918. He moved the funeral home to its current site at 34 Church Street in Hopkinton. This is where I was raised with my three older sisters.
My mother, Mary Callanan Cronin, attended funeral directing school in the early 1950s when she was pregnant with me. Upon her graduation, she became one of the first female funeral directors in the state. She worked alongside my grandfather and uncle until my uncle’s death in 1976, when she became the sole operator.
I graduated from funeral directing school in 1978 and joined my mother in running the funeral home. In the late 1980s, I purchased the house next door and that is where my wife and I raised our two sons. After my mother died in 2003. I took over full operation of the funeral home.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being in the funeral business is often not a smooth road, especially when you are handling tragic deaths or the death of a friend or relative. Despite that, I’ve been very fortunate to run my business in the town of Hopkinton, where there is such a strong sense of community.
Callanan Cronin Funeral Home – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a small, independent business, I have a lot of flexibility and I can provide individualized services to meet specific family needs. I am most proud of the reputation the funeral home has earned for being a caring and professional provider that the people of Hopkinton and surrounding towns can turn to in the most difficult of times.
What were you like growing up? Personality wise, interest wise, etc.
Hopkinton is a great place to grow up. When I was a kid, there were only about 5000 people in town and everybody knew each other. I loved to play baseball with my friends, whether it was organized through Little League or just a pickup game at a remote field across town. I was the only boy in my family, having come after my three older sisters. My father and I were very close and we spent many nights watching the Red Sox on TV or at Fenway. He also liked to take in a Bruins or Celtics game with me. Another great thing about living in Hopkinton is experiencing the start of Boston Marathon each April on Patriot’s Day. Living just about two blocks from the starting line, we always experience a lot of race-day excitement each year and we have the pleasure of hosting many runners on the morning of the race.
Contact Info:
- Address: 34 Church St., Hopkinton, MA 01748
- Website: callanancronin.com
- Phone: 508-435-3951
- Email: hopkintonfuneralhome@gmail.com
Image credit: Hopnews.com
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