Cinda Lynne Cyrus 1946-2011 Cinda Cyrus, 65, of Bastrop, died on December 19, 2011. Cinda was born on December 5, 1946, in Fort Worth, Texas, the second child of Ralph Lynn Cyrus and Elizabeth Marion Briscoe Cyrus. She grew up in Fort Worth and Midland. Cinda loved people from the start and embraced family outings, get-togethers, and reunions. She soon became an avid reader and had a stable Ml of stick horses, the beginning of lifelong love affairs with literature, imagination, and animals. Cinda moved with her family to Midland, where she graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1964. While still a student, she began her lifelong practice of volunteering, first as a candy striper at Midland Hospital, then as a mentor and volunteer with the Episcopal Church. Cinda personified the saying, ‘If you want to have friends, you have to be a friend.’ Her grace, charm, and genuine interest led to a wide and devoted circle of friendships, from those dating back for decades to those made in the last days of her life. In 1971, she earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Texas, then began a career as a technical writer and editor, first in the advertising department at Dillard’s Department Store. She proved to be a quick and insightful study and found she had a strong affinity for leading teams. She maintained her warm disposition, sassy outlook, and droll sense of humor in even the most stressful times. Cinda worked for a number of organizations in Austin, including the University of Texas, the Texas Department of Human Services, the office of Senator Judith Zaffirini, the Petroleum Extension Service, Lockheed, BMC Software, and Just In Time Resources International. She retired from PSW/Concero in 2OO1. A favorite quotation of Cinda’s was by Winston Churchill: ‘Never give in-never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.’ It is not surprising that this sentiment resonated with Cinda, for she did everything with optimism and commitment. She had a passion for current events and history and was famous for her sense of justice and forthright views. Cinda was an avid genealogist who corresponded with people all over the world about family history. For many years she made annual birthday trips with her friends to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City to do research. Cinda loved literature and the written word. From 1979 to 2OO1, she volunteered in the recording studio for the Talking Book program at the Texas State Library to bring books to people with visual disabilities, acting as narrator for 33 books. From 2OO2 to 2O1O, she volunteered as a technical editor and transcriptionist with the Texas State Archives, decoding and transcribing historic manuscripts for the online exhibits pro Cinda was forever mentoring her co-workers and the children of her neighbors. Her encouragement, kindness, and wit will be remembered forever by the many people she loved and who loved her so deeply. A person of integrity and faith, Cinda faced her ups and downs as a person who never saw life as either too big or too small; it simply was. She took the opportunity to live everyday with a steadfast, joyful, and generous spirit. Cinda leaves behind a large and loving family: brothers, James Cyrus of Austin and William Cyrus and wife Barbara Cyrus of Georgetown; sister, Nancy Parmeter and husband Bill Parmeter of Austin; nieces, Amy Parmeter Little and husband David Little of Dripping Springs, Rebecca Cyrus Chapa and husband Josh Chapa of Houston, and Whitney Cyrus of Georgetown; and nephews, Chris Parmeter and wife Lorie Parmeter of Houston and Tyler Cyrus of Georgetown. The family wishes to extend special thanks to Leslie Leach, Freida and Bobby Mundine, Barbara Keir and Bob Conkright, Liz and Mary Clare, and all doctors, nurses, and technicians at Saint David’s North Austin Medical Center and at the Austin Hospice Christopher House. A memorial service will be held at 1O:OO a.m. on Thursday, December 29, at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 209 West 27th Street in Austin, with the Reverend James Stockton officiating. Cinda had close ties to the All Saints Convent in Catonsville, Maryland, where her ashes will be laid to rest. Memorial contributions can be made to the All Saints Sisters of the Poor at P. O. Box 3127, Catonsville, Maryland, 21228; or to Cinda’s other favorite charities: Doctors Without Borders, the Talking Book program at the Texas State Library, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Save the Elephants.
On Saturday, March 9, I went to a Society of Childrens’ Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) monthly meeting at BookPeople in Austin. The featured speaker was Lindsey Scheibe, whose YA book, Riptide, will be launched on May 19. Her talk was about “Pursuing Publication: Tools for Success.”
