Marcus E. Kronick

Marcus E. Kronick unexpectedly passed away on Friday, October 9, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. He loved collegiate and professional sports, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, sharing useful and useless trivia, traveling, going to Disneyland, and cheering the loudest for his beloved Cougars, Stingrays, Riverdogs, and Battery. He was a beloved son, grandson, brother, uncle, cousin and friend.

Marcus was born to Major Richard A. Kronick and Marsha Yaschik Kronick on September 2, 1975, in Austin, Texas. As a baby, his parents learned that he was born with a birth defect that would limit his cognitive and physical abilities. Saddened by the news, his parents looked for resources to help him reach his full potential believing that he was more than his disability. They enrolled him in the School of Hope in Fort Walton Beach, Florida where he first started to meet and surpass challenges. When his father retired from the United States Air Force in 1982, he and his family returned to Charleston, the home of his mother’s family. Attending Charleston Public Schools (Lambs Elementary, Stono Park Elementary, Drayton Hall Middle School and Middleton High School), his parents decided that Marcus had the potential to be more and looked for schools that would strengthen his abilities to be an independent and functioning adult. In high school, he went off to Riverview School in East Sandwich, Massachusetts (Cape Cod). After graduating from Riverview School, he attended and graduated from the University of Alabama Birmingham’s Horizons Program. While in this program, Marcus worked in an animal lab, Bartow Arena and later secured a job at WalMart as an associate. Through this program, he lived on his own independently.

In 1999, Marcus returned to Charleston to live with his parents. He secured a job as a bagger working at BiLo on Bees Ferry Road (and later Sam Rittenberg Blvd.) where he loved working and helping customers. When he was not working, Marcus would come to downtown Charleston twice a week with his father and start his “rounds.” He would visit with College athletic staff and walk along King Street popping into stores to say hello. He also frequented the Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik Jewish Studies Building at the College so he could grab pizza. During this time, Marcus started attending College of Charleston Athletic Games (baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball) and becoming a standout supporter of his beloved Cougars. He also became a fixture at SC Stingray ice hockey and Charleston Riverdogs games. Later, he attended the Charleston Battery games. He had his favorite place to sit, his favorite snacks and his favorite teams to cheer to victory.

After his father’s death in 2018, Marcus lived with his mother and looked out for her. In July of 2020, when his mother moved into senior independent living, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his sister, Rachel, brother-in-law, James Rothbart, niece, Hayley Rothbart, nephew David Rothbart, and their dog, Gabe. A huge move for Marcus, he quickly adapted to the big city learning how to ride public transportation (including making transfers and taking buses and trains), going to USC baseball and football games, and making new friends. During the week, Marcus attended Options for Life where he cooked, practiced yoga, visited outdoor spaces, sang karaoke, and took field trips. He helped plan an outing to SoFi Stadium which remained one of his all-time favorite memories. Once a week, he worked at the Options for Life office where he was happy to handle administrative tasks for the staff.

Marcus enjoyed traveling and visited London, England, Hong Kong, Turkey, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He also started attending games at West Coast ballparks including Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, Petco Park in San Diego, Angels Stadium in Anaheim and Oracle Park in San Francisco. In every place, he had to stop at the large malls to say he visited the mall. Marcus loved taking pictures during these trips and would create photo montages with a curated soundtrack capturing his memories. For his 50th birthday in 2025, he and his sister’s family traveled to Oahu, Hawaii where he climbed Diamondhead, paid his respects at Pearl Harbor, visited the North Shore and the Aulani Hotel. Going to Hawaii for this special birthday was on Marcus’ bucket list and he planned to visit other islands.

If you met Marcus, you became a friend for life. Truly the world has lost a special person who overcame many obstacles and challenges to become the man who always had a smile on his face and never a harsh word (except if you were a team playing against his favorite teams). In addition to his sister and her family, Marcus leaves behind his Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Richard Friedman, Cousin Keith Silverman and his son, Noah, Cousins Michael and Deena Friedman and their children, Sophie and Daniel, Cousins Andrew Friedman and Elizabeth Hart, M.D., and their children, William and Abby. He was predeceased by his loving parents, Richard and Marsha Kronick, his beloved grandparents, Sylvia (Bubbie) and Henry (Zadie) Yaschik, and Macey Kronick, M.D. and Harriett L. Kronick, his Aunt Chana (Anne) Yaschik, his Aunt Judith Kronick, and his Cousin Mathew Silverman.

In his memory, the family requests that you consider donating to the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston (https://tinyurl.com/supportjwst), the Athletic Fund at the College of Charleston, Cougar Athletics Nutrition, or the charity of your choice. The next time you are at a sporting event, cheer to your heart’s content and by doing so, you will be honoring and remembering Marcus and his legacy.

A graveside funeral service will be held Sunday, October 18, 2026 in Brith Sholom-Beth Israel Cemetery at 11:00 am. Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Downtown Chapel.