Fredericton university student remembered as a 'fabulous' force

Mary Frances Cronin, 23, of New Maryland had the world by the tail.

The popularuniversity soccer player, coach and dean's list studentwas on the cusp of a remarkable career in geodesy and geomatic engineering, qualified to map the ocean floor, create 3D models ordevelop navigation systems.

She was scheduled to fly to Vancouver on Monday foran eight-month work term with the same engineeringconsulting firm her older brother works for. She was going to live with him and his fiance, her best friend from university.

She had a "huge, bright future ahead of her. Companies bidding" for her, said her father,Arthur Cronin.

"She could do anything she wanted to do. She was just phenomenal," her mother, Michele Cronin, said.

But Marydied suddenly Friday at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton.

Apreliminary autopsy shows she died of a pulmonary embolism.

There was nothing anyone could do, her mother says.

"They don't know how long the pulmonary embolism was there. They don't know what caused it."

Mary tested positive for COVID-19 after her death, but it's unclear if it was a factor, her parents say.

No COVID symptoms

She didn't have COVIDsymptoms.

She was tired, but shehad written her last exam on Wednesday and had been up for24 hours studying and preparing, so her parentschalked itup to being overworked and stressed out.

On Thursday, Mary took it easy, shopping and watching television withher 13-year-old cousin.

"There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary," her mom says.

When Mary woke up at around 7 a.m. on Friday, she felt lightheaded.

Her mother helped her get settled back into bed and calmed down, then tested her for COVID.

The result was negative.

But when she checked on Mary later, she thought her daughter "just didn't look right," so she called 911.

"I actually was on the phone with 911 and I left to get dressed to head to the hospital and went back in and when I checked on her, she wasn't breathing."

She said the dispatcher, paramedics and hospital staff did everything they could.

"As one of the family members said, [Mary]had no idea it was coming, which is good," she said. "In her mind, she was preparing to continue and plan for her future and the rest of her life."

Older brother looked up to her

On Monday, family and friends were united both in their grief and in their remembrances of the remarkable, vibrant young woman who left an indelible impression on everyone she met.

Mary's brotherRaymundCronin, 26, is devastated. He and Mary "weren't justsiblings," they werebest friends.

"She was the person I would confide in. Even though she was younger,I looked up to her every day," he said. "She was just such an incredible person. She made me want to be better."

His sister was "truly brilliant," he said, proudly noting that she showed him up in every university class they both took.

"When she first got hired on to my company,I just couldn't wait to tell people and couldn't wait for them to meet her," he said.

"I was just so proud of who she was and what she had accomplished."

He knew there was so much more to come, so much more that she would achieve.

"She was coming to work for McElhanney, butI knew one day she was going to run a company or she was going to be a powerful figure. That's just who she was."

She 'filled the room with love'

Hisfiance,Mackenzie McLeod,remembers the day she met Marysix years ago.

Mary was in her first year at St. Thomas University, where she started out in sociology before deciding to follow in her big brother's footsteps and switch to a bachelor of science in engineering at the University of New Brunswick.

They were opposites, she said, but Mary quickly endeared herself.

She was "very eccentric, veryloud. Even if you barely knew her, you felt like you [had known] her a long time."

They became close, and Mary was to be her maid of honour at her weddingnext summer. The sudden death of her beloved would-be sister-in-law has thrown thosewedding plans up in the air.

"I will definitely miss her pushing me outside of my comfort zone always and just knowing how to make anyone laugh and make literally no matter what it was a good time," McLeod said.

"Like any time, any situation, as soon as she walked in, it was better. ... She made everyone laugh and just, like, filled the room with love."

Mary's oldest cousin, Mollie Cronin, 29,fondly recalls that boisterous Mary had her own dedicated box ofBand-Aids in kindergarten.

"There were lots of shenanigan," she said.

Mary, the fifth of 12 cousins, was "always sort of egging [the older ones] on and getting us to keep up with her energy."

With the younger cousins, she was "their biggest champion. ... She was extremely nurturing and loving."

Skilled soccer player and role model

Amy Hughes met Mary when she was a "freckle-faced" 15-year-old who was allowed, by exception, to play on the Fredericton women's league's soccer teambecause of her skill.

Hughes latercoached Mary at St. Thomas University, where shewas the six-foot keeper for three seasons, including in 2018, when she led the team as captain to winthe Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association championship.

"She was just bigger than life She just had such a large reach and impacted so many people," she said, noting how Mary served as a "really strong role model" to younger players.

"She would excel at anything that she put her finger on, really.

"She gave it everything in every aspect of her life, whether she was on the field, or in the classroom, orcoaching youth at [Fredericton District Soccer Association] ... shewas just a very awesome personality."

The Fredericton District Soccer Association is "deeply saddened" by Mary's sudden passing.

She was "a leader, a phenomenal teammate, friend to many and a true inspiration to our youth players," it said in a poston social media. "She will be greatly missed by all who knew her."

A family friend has created the Mary Cronin Fredericton High School Memorial Soccer Scholarship.

It's a fittingtribute, her mother said Mary had a passion for thegame, loved the competitive spirit of it,the camaraderie andthe challenge.

A talented athlete and fierce competitor, she also excelled at rugby. In 2019-20, shehelped the UNBVarsity Reds win the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association championship.

The family is "absolutely floored" byhow manypeople Mary impacted in her short life and who have offered condolences, something her mother said is a tribute to the fact that Mary lived life to the fullest.

"She wasfabulous," she said, "and aforce."

A service in celebration of Cronin's life will be held at York Funeral Home's T. Gordon MacLeod Memorial Chapel on Thursday at 2 p.m. The service will be livestreamed.

The University of New Brunswick, which is offering counselling services and other supports to students and staff, will fly itsflags at both the Fredericton and Saint John campuses at half-mast in Mary's honour until the service.