STONEHAM — Loring K. Crossman, OFS, of Stoneham, a retired jazz drummer, died at his home on January 12.
Born in Boston, Mr. Crossman was raised in Melrose. He graduated from Melrose High School in 1954 and attended Middlesex Community College and Berkeley School of Music.
Mr. Crossman spent over 15 years playing drums for different U.S. jazz bands which involved traveling to different parts of the country, as well as two weeks in Iceland playing for the U.S. Army Band.
He was a member of Boston Musicians’ Association.
He worked for six years as director of a social club in Waltham and a leader for more than 10 years of Dr. Lowes’ Recovery, Inc. group that used to meet weekly in Melrose, which is based in Chicago.
He was a Eucharistic minister, lector and drummer at Masses at St. Anthony Shrine in downtown Boston. He was an active professed member of the Third Order Secular Franciscan of St. Anthony Fraternity that meets monthly at Boston’s St. Anthony Shrine.
He was appointed editor of the fraternity’s newsletter “Shalom” and a Formation Team member after a 10-day Franciscan Study Pilgrimage in Rome and Assisi, until his election as Councilor of St. Anthony Fraternity Council, then was elected Minister of the Fraternity for six years.
He was also elected as Councilor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Regional Fraternity Council that used to meet in Andover, MA, now meeting in Kennebunk, Maine. He became an excused member of the Fraternity after a bout and remission of cancer, afterwards succumbing to different illnesses.
He led a weekly Centering Prayer and Scripture Prayer Group at St. Anthony Shrine, then at Melrose’s St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish after his training with Fr. Basil Pennington of the Cistercian Order in Spencer, MA. He was a Eucharistic minister and lector at St. Mary of the Annunciation before transferring to St. Patrick Parish.
Mr. Crossman is survived by daughter Lorna K. Doherty, son-in-law Keith Doherty, grandson Patrick Doherty, ex-wife Sanchia DePasqale, longtime Franciscan companion/caregiver Edwina Gabrillo, OFS, and friends.
Tee funeral will be from the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose, on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 8:45 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Patrick’s Church, 71 Central St., Stoneham at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends respectfully invited to attend.
Visiting hours on Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Burial in Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. To leave online condolence and for additional information please visit www.gatelyfh.com.
