Remembering Arthur Crofton
• Longtime Jacksonville air personality Arthur Crofton, beloved morning show fixture on Renda AC 96.1 WEJZ since 1990, has died at the age of 72. According to GM Bill Berry, Crofton was at home when he died. The station learned of his death Wednesday morning, which gave them the chance to pay tribute to him the following day.
The news of Crofton’s passing was shared on WEJZ’s Facebook page, which noted: “To say that he will be missed is a huge understatement. Arthur has been hosting mornings on WEJZ for over 30 years. He entertained and informed millions of North Floridians and he loved every minute of it. Please keep his family in your prayers.”
Beautifully described by Matt Soergel of the Jacksonville Florida-Times Union as “the possessor of a familiar, unmistakable voice — genial and debonair, showcasing a polished English accent worn down only slightly by decades in the American South,” Crofton grew up in northeast England, the son of an English father and a mother from Alabama. In 1970, with American citizenship through his mother, Crofton moved to New York where he worked as a mail clerk at CBS News, according to a biography on the WEJZ website. He debuted on Jacksonville radio in 1978.
Last Thursday morning, Crofton’s co-host, Yvonne Velazquez, paid tribute to her partner on air, speaking with his colleagues and loyal longtime listeners alike. “We got countless stories this morning and on our Facebook page of personal stories, of people meeting with him and connecting with him,” Velazquez said after the morning show ended. “He’s going to be greatly missed by his radio family and his listening family.” Afterward, Bill Berry said, “It’s been a very moving morning, a very difficult morning, but also a celebration.”
For the last nine months, Crofton had been in semi-retirement, coming to the station on Mondays and Thursdays to pre-record segments with Velazquez that would air five days a week. He recently spent several weeks in Europe, visiting family in England, including his son Craig and granddaughter, who live in Bristol. He also went to Italy to visit his daughter Teresa. Crofton had returned home to Jacksonville recently and came back to the station last Monday morning to record three more chats. It turned out to be his final visit.
Crofton is survived by his wife, Laurie Mitchell, and his children Teresa, Craig and Lindsay, and five grandchildren. Funeral services have not been announced. [Photo Credit: Emily Barnes / Florida Times-Union archives]
