SOUTH HADLEY- Irene Cronin died suddenly on Jan. 2, 2012, at the age of 91.

Irene Constance Kisiel was born in Holyoke, the daughter of Serafina and Kazimir Kisiel. She attended Mater Dolorosa School and South Hadley High School. She attended Mount Holyoke College, obtaining a B.A. in political science, and continued on to Columbia University, obtaining a master's in international relations and a master's in library service.

She worked at the Hispanic Foundation of the Library of Congress before returning to the Pioneer Valley. For 25 years she was a reference librarian at the Springfield City Library Main Branch, and became head of the department. She retired from that position and joined the faculty at Mount Holyoke as a reference assistant.

She assisted many students and professors in their research over the years and enjoyed showing people how to track down information. In her retirement, she used her skills to research various topics and authored a series of historical essays that appeared in the the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

She held varied positions in the South Hadley Historical Society, the South Hadley Canal Park Committee, was president of Know Your Town, and a docent for the Old Firehouse Museum.

She authored "Images of South Hadley," was chairwoman of the South Hadley 250th Anniversary book committee, and of the committee for the second edition of "Old Homes Of South Hadley." She was named Citizen of the Year in 1995 and was named town historian.

She was appointed to the South Hadley Historical Commission and was tireless in her support of projects that preserved historic buildings in South Hadley. Her other interests included stained glass and lapidary classes and book club at MHC.

After 40 years on Lathrop Street, she and her husband moved to Summerfield, Fla. She continued to participate in book club activities and enjoyed going to the pool.

Her husband of 54 years, John Joseph Cronin, passed away on Jan. 8, 2012.

She is survived by her daughters, Patricia Hawley of Hollis, Maine, and Janice Cronin of Alexandria, Va.; a son, John Charles Cronin of Plymouth; and four grandchildren, Phillip Hawley, and Michael, David, and Serafina Cronin Rhind-Tutt. A memorial service will be held in the South Hadley area.