Beatrice Sayre Cron

Beatrice Adelle “Sayre” Cron was born on Nov. 24, 1922, in Chicago, IL to Alvah Sayre and Pauline Goetschalck (Bea’s elementary school teacher). She was a big sister to Charles “Chuck” Sayre, and she was often cared for by her grandpa Goetschalck (who made the chairs she kept her whole life). Bea palled around with her friends Fran and Ethel, and they often performed on a makeshift stage in the Cron basement. The girls put out a periodical; they charged the boys on the block a nickel to read about who liked whom. Bea enjoyed ice skating, horseback riding, dancing, and synchronized swimming.

Bea went to college during WWII at Chicago Teacher’s College (free tuition), and she got her master’s degree in physical education (on Synchronized Swimming) from Northwestern University. She married Lloyd Sharpless and had her two beloved daughters, Lynn Clark and Debie Heise, and moved to Southern California. She later divorced and married Quentin Cron, father of their son, Randy. Bea worked in Compton, CA as a junior high school assistant principal and later worked at Rolling Hills High School as Dean of Students before working as an Administrator for the Palos Verdes Unified School District.

Bea’s lifelong friends included Bruce McConnell, and Fern Rosen and Joan Johnson, with whom she played and taught the card game, Bridge. Bea (a Bridge Life Master) and Fern wrote 3 books (for different levels of expertise) on learning bridge, and Bea sailed across the planet (visited over 100 countries) teaching Bridge (and selling her books) on cruise ships in her “retirement”. She enjoyed visiting family (Sayre’s in Chicago area, Flansburg’s on their farm in eastern Washington, and Goetschalck’s in Antwerp, Belgium).

Bea’s favorite places to visit were summers at Lake Tahoe, CA, vacations in Princeville, HI, winters in Mesa, AZ, and any chance to play Blackjack/21 in Las Vegas, NV. She enjoyed bowling, water skiing, duplicate bridge, knitting, and reading (Agatha Christie, as well as romance novels). Her favorite TV views were the annual Rose Parade (Pasadena, CA), “Dancing with the Stars”, and any Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game (often attended in person). She enjoyed the voices of Nat King Cole, Perry Cuomo, and Frank Sinatra. Her favorite treats were A&W root beer floats, butter pecan ice cream, red licorice, and lemon drops.

Bea lived her last 8 years in Birmingham, AL in an apartment (retirement community) near her son, Randy, and his family. She enjoyed playing the card game, “Spite and Malice”, and Sunday evenings were a chance to catch up with the Birmingham Cron’s (Tracy, Randy, Remy, & Randi), and by phone with her daughters, Lynn & Debie. Bea passed away peacefully on February 26, 2026, at the age of 103. We were all fortunate to have known and loved her, and she will be sorely missed by all.