Casey LaLonde, 1972 – 2026

Casey LaLonde, grandson and “keeper of the flame” for his grandmother Joan Crawford, died at his home on June 15. No cause of death has been announced. He was the son of Cathy Crawford LaLonde, one of Joan’s twin daughters; all of Crawford’s children have died except the notorious Christina. Casey worked as Senior Municipal Consulting & Management Strategist for Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc., and was township manager for West Goshen, Pennsylvania. Fans are crazy (me included), so there have been some really vicious online attacks on LaLonde, accusing him of not being sufficiently Joanie, and of making money off her name (when I met him at a 2011 auction—I got to hold Joan’s Pepsi brooch in my own quivering hand!—he was bankrupting himself buying her personal papers to keep them away from Aunt Christina). Earlier this year LaLonde told the Be Kind Rewind site, “I’ve been very active since about 2006, just going out and speaking to fans and presenting her home movies. I reissued both of her books that were out of print, My Way of Life and A Portrait of Joan, back in 2017. Over the years, I’ve just become the voice for her and the voice of the estate, in Hollywood and wherever it takes us.” In a move guaranteed to win my heart, has family announced, “In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Downingtown Library.”