Dr. Jim Croak and his wife Pat have lived in The Quarry for 24 years. The couple originally planned to build in Stone Oak and even purchased a lot there, but one day when Jim was driving down Albon Road, he saw the first house being erected on the rim of The Quarry and immediately knew it was meant to be their home. “The draw was definitely the cliff over the water,” Jim said. Because the house wasn’t finished yet, Pat, whose background is in design, was able to work with the builder to customize the home to their preferences. 

Jim has been affectionately dubbed mayor of The Quarry, not only because he was the first resident of the neighborhood but also because he was the eldest gentleman on the lake. He loves being outdoors and is often seen visiting other residents on his pontoon boat, which contributes to his status as the man to whom people can turn for advice on everything from landscaping and gardening to community events and travel. 

Jim grew up in Oregon and graduated from Clay High School, where he played basketball and pitched for the baseball team for four years. Now his grandson, Grady, plays basketball and baseball and loves it just like his grandfather did in his day. Jim attended the University of Toledo for pre-med and is still an ardent Toledo Rockets fan. While at UT, Jim excelled in chemistry and even taught a chemistry lab. His love of mixing things relates to his enjoyment of canning 31 varieties of food, a skill he learned from his mother. He graduated from medical school in Chicago in 1968 and was a medical pioneer as the first osteopathic physician on staff at Toledo Hospital. He was also the first to be certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “I’ve had the privilege of delivering 3,228 babies, 168 sets of twins, four sets of triplets, and having done 10,000 successful surgeries. I felt it was an honor to help women and to help make their lives better.” 

 

Pat grew up on the south side of Chicago and, from a young age, was a creative soul. While in high school, one of her teaching nuns encouraged her to pursue a career in art and design. In college, she received a national award for packaging design sponsored by Alcoa Aluminum. Pat graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology Institute of Design with a degree in visual design and communication. There weren’t many women in her field at the time, and like her future husband, she was a pioneer in her industry. By the age of 22, she was working for an international design firm, traveling the world, making presentations, and meeting with clients. “It was a wonderful growth experience for a young person,” she said. 

Pat’s career included conducting style trend surveys for major companies, including General Electric and Corning Glass, and designing tableware patterns for iconic brands, including Rosenthal of Germany – one of the leading manufacturers of fine china, Corningware, Libby Glass, and Pyrex. She also worked with Toledo-based Jan Merrell Kitchens to design kitchen layouts and select cabinetry, fixtures, etc. During that time, she created the kitchen layout for the owner of Marco’s Pizza. One of her favorite projects was designing the signage for the Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center in Alaska, which is still in use today. Locally, Pat did a lot of work for area schools. In the late 1980s, she designed the logo for the St. John’s Jesuit High School rowing team. The team recently resurrected the logo and is applying it to their shirts and boats. This is especially meaningful for the Croaks because their grandson, Rowan, a sophomore at St. John’s, is currently a coxswain on the team. 

A particularly interesting story occurred during Pat’s years in college. A friend who was a graduate student in photography did freelance work for Mercury Records. He asked Pat to pose for an album cover for George Shearing’s album, Misty. However, instead of using it for Misty, the photo was used for a cover for one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era, The Platters. 

Pat says she is grateful to have been blessed with a full life, a wonderful family, and a career that was extraordinary, especially for women of that time. 

The Croaks have two adult children and four grandchildren, Mac (16), Addy (15), Rowan (16), and Grady (12). Their son, Dr. Andrew Croak, is a urogynecologist in Perrysburg. Their daughter, Genevieve Patterson, is president of Banloch, LLC, a Houston-based management consulting firm. 

When describing his wife, Jim says, “Pat is a creative and caring woman, faithful to her religion, and a wonderful wife of 54 years.” She’s also a gourmet cook, he added with a smile. Pat says, “Jim is a devoted family man who greatly enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.”

Jim and Pat are world-travelers, including trips to China and cruises down many rivers in Europe and other countries. They especially enjoy vacations in Florida. Kiawah Island in South Carolina is where both of their children were born and holds a special place in their hearts. They enjoy entertaining, reading, and watching good movies. The Croaks live life to the fullest with hobbies, travel, pontooning, time with family, weekly dinners with friends, and just enjoying their slice of heaven on The Quarry.