WORLD BRIDGE BLOG

At first glance, one might have had the impression that Patricia Cronan, at best, tolerated her daughter Trish's passion for refugees.

Pat could seem blunt-- puffing on her cigarette, with a skeptical, "I've seen most of life" expression which was true, having raised six daughters and two sons, while also supporting her husband's work.

Turns out that underneath that exterior, Pat strongly endorsed Trish's passionate devotion to refugees and to Refugees International and Pat put her money where her mouth was. In the early 1990s, when every RI payroll was a challenge, Pat was exceedingly generous and that generosity extended to her closing wish that donations in honor of her be given to RI.

When I was running RI, I didn't get a chance to spend much time with Pat, but as I transitioned to president emeritus of RI, turning the reigns over to the very capable Ken Bacon, I had more time.

So one warm fall day, early in this new millennium Pat and I set out in my Ford Ranger pick-up truck for a spontaneous ramble around Georgetown and beyond. We stopped long enough to stock our coffee holders and admire the architecture, the foliage, Dumbarton Oaks and the Potomac River.

It also was a chance for me to express my deep gratitude for what her contributions had meant to RI. In the nineties, a handful of generous donors, like Pat, were the difference in giving RI the critical mass to move to worldwide advocacy and setting the stage for the late Ken Bacon to expand our footprint further when he took over the RI helm from me in 2001.

But, even more important than her significant support for RI, Pat produced Trish who has been one of RI's most important and influential leaders along with her "sidekick" Mark Malloch Brown, my colleague in refugee work going back to 1979. Together, we confronted the extraordinary exodus of Cambodian refugees into Thailand and Mark moved on to a distinguished career at the highest levels of the UN. Trish succeeded Mark as vice chair when Mark re-joined the UN as chief of UNDP.

Within the past couple of years, Mark was named to the House of Lords. Lord and Lady Malloch Brown are their titles now, but both remain devoted to improving the human condition and Trish continues to give RI very important extra energy and clout-- a lasting legacy bestowed on us by Pat Cronan.

Pat Cronan asked that those who wish to donate in her memory, contribute to RI. Seems like Pat was saying: Don't grieve too much, I've had a good and full life, but while you are thinking of me, take out your checkbook and make RI the payee, so RI can continue to protect and assist the maximum number of the displaced and dispossessed around the world.

I didn't know Pat all that well, but we had a special bond. I will miss Pat Cronan a lot, as will so many in the RI family. We salute her and her family.

--Lionel Rosenblatt, President Emeritus Refugees International