Robert M. Cremen, a retired Teamsters official and truck driver who was active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, died of congestive heart failure Monday at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin. He was 78.

Before retiring to Ocean City 14 years ago, he resided in Broening Manor in Southeast Baltimore.

A longtime truck driver who moved rigging and heavy equipment for Brooklyn Corp. on Pennington Avenue, he retired in 1988 and was a member of the Teamsters for 48 years.

He rose from organizer-agent in 1961 to the rank of secretary-treasurer, principal officer of Teamsters Local 311 on Eastern Avenue in Essex. He became president of Baltimore Teamsters Joint Council 62 in 1986 after serving as a trustee and recording secretary.

Born in Baltimore and raised on West North Avenue, he attended city public schools and started work as a teen-ager. He served with the Army Air Forces in India and Burma during World War II, attaining the rank of staff sergeant.

For the past five years, he had been commander of Ocean City VFW Post 8296. He was also a regional vice commander of the VFW, and belonged to the American Legion and Elks Club in the resort town.

He enjoyed golf and shot two holes in one -- one at Pine Shores, the other at the Ocean City Beach Club Golf Course.

A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. today at Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, Foster Avenue and Conkling Street, where he had been a member.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, the former Jennie Impallaria; a son, Robert W. Cremen of Forest Hill; a daughter, Jo Ann Cerne of Baltimore; two brothers, Guy Cremen of Glen Burnie and Lawrence Cremen of Ocean City; and four grandchildren.