Editing Walter Cronkite (section)

== Personal life ==
[[File:WalterCronkiteathelm.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cronkite at the helm of the {{USS|Constitution}} in July 1997]]
Cronkite was married for nearly 65 years to Mary Elizabeth 'Betsy' Maxwell Cronkite, from March 30, 1940, until her death from cancer on March 15, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/07/19/09/legendary-tv-news-anchor-walter-cronkite-dies|title=Legendary TV news anchor Walter Cronkite dies|agency=Reuters|work=abs-cbnnews.com|date=July 19, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Social Security Death Index |publisher=Ancestry.com |year=2009 |url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com |access-date=July 20, 2009}}.</ref> They had three children: Nancy Cronkite, [[Kathy Cronkite|Mary Kathleen (Kathy) Cronkite]], and Walter Leland (Chip) Cronkite III (who is married to actress [[Deborah Rush]]). Cronkite dated singer [[Joanna Simon (mezzo-soprano)|Joanna Simon]] from 2005 to 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2009/08/23/walter-jilt-his-gal-pal/|title=WALTER JILT$ HIS GAL PAL|first=James|last=Fanelli|date=August 23, 2009|work=New York Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Nocera |first1=Kate |title=Girlfriend recalls the way Walter Cronkite was: As a journalist impartial, as a human passionate |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/girlfriend-recalls-walter-cronkite-journalist-impartial-human-passionate-article-1.402932 |website=New York Daily News  |date=July 20, 2009 |access-date=December 13, 2019}}</ref>
A grandson, Walter Cronkite IV, worked at CBS<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2013/05/17/walt-cronkites-party-for-his-book-about-his-grandfather-walter-cronkite/|title=Walt Cronkite's Party for His Book About His Grandfather, Walter Cronkite|first1=Carol Ross|last1=Joynt|date=May 17, 2013|work=washingtonian.com}}</ref> and currently serves as director of communications at the Structured Finance Association.<ref>{{Cite web |last=SFA |date=2024-03-07 |title=Structured Finance Association Welcomes Walt Cronkite as Director of Communications |url=https://structuredfinance.org/structured-finance-association-welcomes-walt-cronkite-as-director-of-communications/ |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=Structured Finance Association |language=en-US}}</ref> Cronkite's cousin is former [[List of Mayors of Kansas City, Missouri|Mayor of Kansas City]] and [[2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Missouri|2008]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Missouri's 6th congressional district]] [[Kay Barnes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/may/09/cronkite_wins_truman/|title=Cronkite wins Truman neighbor award|date=May 9, 2004|work=Lawrence Journal-World|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

Cronkite was an accomplished sailor and enjoyed sailing coastal waters of the United States in his custom-built 48-foot Sunward ''Wyntje''. Cronkite was a member of the [[United States Coast Guard Auxiliary]], with the honorary rank of commodore.<ref>{{cite web |title=USCG: Frequently Asked Questions |work=Walter Cronkite |publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security |date=July 22, 2008 |url=http://www.uscg.mil/history/faqs/waltercronkite.asp |access-date=July 20, 2009}}</ref><ref name="nyt" /> Throughout the 1950s, he was an aspiring [[sports car racing|sports car racer]], even racing in the [[1959 12 Hours of Sebring]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Garrett |first=Jerry |title=Walter Cronkite, the Race Car Driver – Wheels Blog – NYTimes.com |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 20, 2009 |url=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/walter-cronikite-the-racecar-driver/ |access-date=July 20, 2009}}</ref>

Cronkite was an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]].  He briefly considered entering the ministry before deciding to embark on a career in journalism.<ref>{{cite web | title=And that's the way he was | website=Religion News Service | date=2009-07-21 | url=https://religionnews.com/2009/07/21/and-thats-the-way-he-was/ | ref={{sfnref | Religion News Service | 2009}} | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref>

Cronkite was reported to be a fan of the game ''[[Diplomacy (game)|Diplomacy]]'', which was rumored to be [[Henry Kissinger]]'s favorite game.<ref name="WaPo86">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/06/02/lying-and-cheating-by-the-rules/78ab5e73-b64d-4448-875e-aae12ab43476/|title=Lying and Cheating by the Rules|last=McClellan|first=Joseph|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 2, 1986|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200715150118/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/06/02/lying-and-cheating-by-the-rules/78ab5e73-b64d-4448-875e-aae12ab43476/|archive-date=July 15, 2020}}</ref>