Greg Cronkhite

1980 ~ 2016

Gregory Thomas Cronkhite of Lethbridge, Alberta, beloved son of Louella and Dave and brother to Richard, passed away suddenly at the Chinook Regional Hospital on Friday, September 30, 2016.

Greg was born in Lethbridge on June 2, 1980. When Greg was 18 months old, the family took on a significant adventure as Mennonite Central Committee volunteers, beginning with six months in Paris and followed by fourteen months in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa. The family finished their MCC term with a year and a half in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after which they returned to Lethbridge.

Greg graduated from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in 1998, and enrolled at the University of Lethbridge, where he spent a year before deciding to attend the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, maintaining standing on the dean's list and graduating as an Electrical Engineer in 2004. To celebrate his graduation, Greg and his Dad travelled to Portugal via France and Spain for the Euro2004 Soccer Finals. Greg had been a key defensive player with the Lethbridge Cosmos Soccer Club, and this mutual love of the game was a highlight of his relationship with his Dad, both of whom remained ardent fans of the game. He also loved to cook, and when he was visiting his parents, he could be found sitting at the kitchen island, chopping and preparing beautiful and delicious food.

Greg's first professional job was with Peter Kiewit Sons as an engineer in the building of the Canadian Natural Resources Limited site near Fort McMurray. After a year, he left Fort McMurray and set out with a friend to Australia, where he tried bungee jumping, sky diving and scuba diving. He also spent four months in Hawaii before returning to Lethbridge. In 2008 he began working with Stantec, where he was employed as an Electrical Engineer until his passing.

Greg is survived by his loving parents, Louella and David Cronkhite, his brother Richard, his niece Hayden, his grandfather Fred Enns, his Aunt Susanne (Stan) Kaufman, his Aunt Laurie (Don) Hoyda and his Uncle Robert (Linda) Cronkhite as well as numerous much-loved cousins and second cousins. He was predeceased by his Grandma Betty and Grandpa Robert Cronkhite, his Grandma Aganeta Enns, his Aunt Bonnie (Dave) Troughton, his Uncle Stephen (Dawn) Cronkhite, and his Aunt Gwendolyn Valcourt.

Greg attracted amazing people. He will be remembered by all as one who built and maintained good friendships, for his thoughtfulness, kindness, helpfulness, wit, humour, intelligence, creativity, humility, devotion and loyalty, and for his fascination with the why, how and what of nearly everything.

A Celebration of Greg’s Life will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday October 15, 2016 at MARTIN BROTHERS RIVREVIEW CHAPEL, 610-4th Street South, Lethbridge. Cremation to follow.

Those who wish may make memorial donations to STARS Air Ambulance, or the charity of your choice.