Our brave, bright, beautiful daughter died unexpectedly last week.  She was 65.  

Her spirit will live on through her loved and loving husband, three children and their spouses, six grandchildren, her brothers, and her parents. 

We are here in Oregon sharing hugs and tears and memories and gratitude with our dear son-in-law and grandchildren.  

As the only daughter in a busy family with four children, Cyndi was a force of nature, seemingly born to manage and mother her brothers, cousins, and often half the neighborhood children.  She was a water baby who loved swimming, enjoyed hiking and skiing, was an honor roll student, and editor of the school yearbook.   She worked several different after-school and summer jobs and her favorite ones somehow always seemed to involve working with small children.  Her decision to study Early Childhood Education after graduation was almost a foregone conclusion.

Cyndi met her future husband while working one of those after-school jobs.  She and Jeff were partners in life and often in business as well for over  40 years.  They took classes, worked in their two businesses, raised three amazing, adventurous and resilient children and, in the course of time, were active and loving grandparents.    She was a mother figure to the many toddlers who came to the Day Care that they owned while their own children were young.  They were also dedicated foster parents to a number of children and later Cyndi served for several years as a teaching assistant in the public school system, working closely with special needs children. 

All of these accomplishments and more took place while she also dealt with the devastating up and down nature of MS, the chronic disease with which she lived for over 30 years.  She did not let her illness define her, always bounced back from the down times and lived life with joy.  For much of that time she made it possible for us to forget how hard she worked to stay well.  Only in the last couple of years did pain and exhaustion begin to overcome her resistance. 

She enjoyed the Oregon Coast, walks around the Lake near their home, some travel, even riding a motorcycle in earlier years.   Best of all, she loved her family life and raising her children in the country where she drove a wicked tractor over the back acreage!   She loved “playing” in their yard, was especially fond of spring flowers and wild birds.  

She loved being a grandmother.  She delighted in reading to her grands, teaching, playing, and just watching them grow, especially as they played in their grandma and grandpas big backyard out there in the country.  

Our broken hearts will eventually heal but with lasting scars.  We will keep the good memories and remember that she is now free of pain.  

(this photo by Geoff Rainville, Cyndi's brother)   

We have always loved her and we have always been proud of her and we always will be.   We are blessed to have been her parents.