Eddie Winther McCroom, 80, died Monday, November 5, 2012 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
He leaves his wife of 53 years, Shirley Kathryn; his son Darren Winther McCroom (Shameem Rakha); daughter Audrey Jay (Roy F. Casey, Jr.), and, daughter Sandra Marguerite McCroom.
He also leaves three grandsons: Aaron Winther Casey (Jessica Wynns), Royce Alan Casey, and Justin Winther McCroom; as well as a great grandson, Myles Winther Casey. He is also survived by his sister, Pauline Phifer, and brother, Earnest Martin as well as numerous nieces, nephews and close friends. He was preceded in death by his siblings Rose Sudberry, Norris Martin, William Jones; and Delores Sprowel.
Eddie was born and raised in Memphis, the 6th in a line of seven children born to Marguerite Mosby. Their mother died when Eddie was only 2 years old, leaving the children to be raised by their grandmother, Julia Mosby.
After graduating from Manassas High School, Eddie went to Arkansas AM&N College (Now Arkansas State). He served in the US Navy before being accepted into Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he earned is Juris Doctorate.
In 1964, Eddie was appointed by Robert F. Kennedy as an Assistant US Attorney to the Southern District of Ohio in Cincinnati. He was one of the first African Americans in the country to be appointed to such a post. He later became the first Equal Employment Opportunity officer for the state of Ohio and was instrumental in creating legislation that ensured minorities would be included in contracts issued by the state. He was also a partner in the law firm of Breckenridge, Haynes and McCroom, in Youngstown, Ohio.
Eddie was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; a leader of the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World; and a member of the Ohio State Bar Association. In addition to receiving the Outstanding American Award, he was featured in Who’s Who in American Law; Who’s Who in Ohio; and awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Ohio Supreme Court. Last month he received the Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award from the State of Ohio Minority- and Disadvantaged- Business Enterprise Task Force.
Above all else, Eddie believed in family. He gave himself completely to the well-being of his wife, children and extended family.
