Ronald (Ronnie) Neil Krensel

Ronald ("Ronnie") Krensel
January 6, 1959 - October 20, 2025
With broken hearts, we mourn the passing of our beloved Ronnie Krensel — a father, son, brother, uncle, and friend whose humor, creativity, and kindness left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him.
He is survived by his cherished daughter Poppy Sunrise Krensel, Erin McFarland, his parents Ernie and Sherri, his brother Robert, his niece Lauren, nephews Danny and Jesse, Sister in Laws Jayne and Debby and countless close friends who loved him like family. He was predeceased by his mother, Anita Naftulin Smith.
Born in Philadelphia, Ronnie grew up in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and later made New York City his home. After earning degrees in biology and film from the University of Pennsylvania, he set out to combine his scientific curiosity with his passion for storytelling — starting, as he liked to joke, by "making coffee on film sets."
From those beginnings, he built a vibrant career as a director, editor, producer, and showrunner, creating and leading shows for ESPN, TruTV, Discovery, , BBC, ABC, A&E, History, and PBS as well as many more. And as a development executive, he helped shape shows for all of those networks and more. Since 2010, he directed more than 60 commercials for brands such as Land Rover, Home Depot, Lexus, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Bank of America. One of his final collaborations featured Bill Murray in a music video and ad campaign.
His acclaimed documentary A Matter of Degrees, about inner-city education, earned an Emmy Award and Silver Medals from the Toronto and Columbus Film Festivals. Over the years, Ronnie's work was recognized with Cine Golden Eagles, Cindy Awards, an Indiefest, a Webby Award, and multiple Emmy, Streamy, and Promax nominations. Critics described his projects as "compelling" (New York Times), "effervescent" (Wall Street Journal), and "smart and insightful" (Washington Post).
One of Ronnie's great gifts in life was his ability to connect with people and bring a smile to the faces of others. Whether it was talking to strangers, training dogs (and occasionally children), or pretending to speak French, his amazing wit, warmth and deep interest in others was always on full display.
On September 8, 2017, Ronnie experienced the greatest joy of his life: the birth of his daughter, Poppy Sunrise Krensel, named in honor of his beloved grandfather "Poppy." From that moment forward, she was the heart and center of his world.
In November 2019, Ronnie was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer caused by his exposure to the devastation at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, where he spent several weeks on the pile filming. He faced this illness with humor, courage, and a fierce will to live — driven by his love for Poppy. Against the odds, he continued to work, laugh, and love for nearly six years, inspiring everyone who knew him.
Ronnie passed away peacefully on October 20, 2025, at 1:11 a.m., surrounded by love.
He will be remembered for his brilliance, his laughter, and the deep love he gave so freely. His stories, his humor, and his light will live on in all of us — and especially in Poppy.

In lieu of flowers please consider a gift to the Poppy Krensel college fund which would be a great way to honor Ronnie.

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