It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the sudden passing of our most beloved Cindy.
Anyone who has entered the library in the last 23 years has been met by the most welcoming, charismatic, kind, beautiful woman. She made every person feel special, appreciated and important. Thought of as a friend by most who entered, not just a librarian. She had an uncanny way of connecting with people, remembering their names after just one visit, asking them about things that they had talked about previously, offering the best hugs and encouraging words at just the right time – an empath through and through. She cared for her patrons, her friends and her family with all of her heart. Cindy was the most giving of people.
She loved working at the library – it was her second home and we her second family. Those of us remaining are confused, devastated and heart broken. We will never be the same without her. The library will never be the same without her. She was an amazing person, she was a member of our family, she was the light at the desk.
Unsure if we could handle it, we did open yesterday morning. Cindy would have wanted it that way. She would have wanted us all to be together, hugging and supporting each other. She would have loved to be a part of the stories, the reminiscing, the occasional giggle through tears when we would remember something funny. We found it hard to leave at 1:00, we didn’t lock the door, we just sat. Her presence was with us. In the end, opening was the right decision for us and the community. Many people stopped in to cry, share, offer hugs. The library was and will forever be a place of community. That was one of the things that Cindy loved most about it.
Please come in this week. Join us in celebrating her. We will have red puffy eyes, we will have tears running down our faces, we will need and offer as many hugs as necessary, but we will smile, we will laugh, we will rejoice in the life of our most precious friend. We want you to do those things as well. Cindy loved to laugh, loved to be silly, loved talking to people…she loved to love. And we love her.
~ Anne, Bonnie, Joanie and Rebecca