In Memoriam: John C. Cross, 1954-2023
President & Group Publisher of the Standard Publishing Corporation
John C. Cross passed away from a heart attack at his home in Dover, MA, on Thursday, May 11. Born December 16, 1954, he grew up in Weston, MA, the eldest child of Gorham Lamont Cross and Joan Felton Cross. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he is survived by his wife, Margaret “Peggy”; his sisters, Jennifer Cross Peterson and Heather Cross Woodworth; his sons, Theodore and Charles; his daughter-in-law, Rebecca; and his two grandchildren, Olivia and William.
With a successful, life-long career in publishing, John started as an editor at Warren, Gorham & Lamont, first in New York City, and then in Boston. After graduating with his JD from Suffolk University Law School (cum laude ’83), he founded Federal Research Press, which he later renamed the Standard Publishing Corporation after acquiring “The Standard,” an insurance news magazine founded in 1865. He held the position of Publisher and President ever since, running nearly a dozen different business journals in New England and Texas.
A fixture at 10 High Street, he was as ready to crack a joke with his employees as to find a solution to any challenge. Before Suffolk University, John graduated from the Noble and Greenough School (’73) and Amherst College (cum laude ’77), and carried with him a dedication to intellectual curiosity and a love of reading, keeping at least six books in rotation at any given time. Visiting family and friends were treated to a tour of his extensive library and sent home with a stack of tomes chosen specifically to spark future spirited debate.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Gorham “Grandpa Grouse” Cross, John was a passionate bird hunter and a talented clay-target shooter. He served on the board of the Fin, Fur, and Feather, and chaired the trap shooting committee at the Dedham Country and Polo Club, mentoring the next generation of shooters. Most of all, John adored Peggy, as entranced with her after 45 years of marriage as when they first met at a social mixer at Smith College their freshman year. They spent many happy times in Maine, and later, they enjoyed traveling together abroad. Remembering his father, Charlie said, “I don’t remember ever beating the old man in an argument or a round of Skeet,” to which one of John’s close friends replied, “Neither do I.”
In lieu of flowers, a donation in John’s memory may be made to A Place to Turn Food Pantry at www.aplacetoturn-natick.org, or to Amherst College prioritized for Scholarship & Financial Aid at give.engage.amherst.edu
Condolences also can be left for the Cross Family on the Legacy.com website: JOHN CROSS Obituary (1954 – 2023) – Dover, MA – Boston Globe (legacy.com)
