Eulogy Delivered at Cindy's Funeral on 10/18/2008

(Photo courtesy of Matt & Lisa)

A few people who could not attend the funeral service asked me to post the eulogy I delivered at her funeral service. I think the speech below is better received in person than on paper, but hopefully you will still get a feel for what I found special about Cindy.

Eulogy for Cindy Rono by JM

If Cindy were here right now, she would be feeling a lot of pressure to cheer up this room. Whenever she saw a somber face, her first instinct would be to go up to that person, grasp their hand with both of hers, and ask, “Can I get you something to eat? Do you want something to drink?” Or, better yet, if there was food going to waste, “Are you done eating that?” Cindy loved making people feel happy, feeding people, and caring for all. And she often said to me, “Jen, if someone is feeling sad and you don’t have the words to comfort them, just hug them, just put your hand on their shoulder, or just hold their hand.” For Cindy believed that the power of touch was all that you needed to let someone know they are not alone and that you care.

Because of my special relationship with Cindy, I was lucky enough to learn many things like this from her. Through our years together, I came to understand the various aspects of her that made her so memorable to so many people, even those who had only met her one time:

1. Cindy made everyone feel important. No matter your job or life experience, she was always genuinely curious about and interested to know you and know all about you. I remember one time we were talking to a woman at a party and Cindy asked her what she did for a living. The woman replied, “It’s not that interesting, in fact it’s a real conversation killer. I lease office supplies to companies.” But, to Cindy this was fascinating. Cindy asked her all kinds of questions and afterwards, I asked Cindy “were you just being polite?” And she was like, “No, what she does is really cool and I found out she actually leases to my company.” Cindy’s curiosity about people was genuine. And I am sure if I were to survey most of you in this room, you could also remember a time Cindy asked you a ton of questions about yourself, while also managing to never answer a question about herself—which gets me to my next recollection about Cindy:

2. Cindy put everyone else before her. I remember one time I called her during her lunch break and she was actually in her car on her way to church. Since it was not Sunday, I wondered if it was some religious holiday. But, I soon came to understand that Cindy often stopped by the church during the week to pray for others. She never prayed for her own health or her own good fortune, but only for the loved ones around her. When a co-worker was diagnosed with cancer, she went to the church and prayed for her recovery. When a friend of hers was having trouble conceiving, she went to the church and prayed for her fertility. When a friend was struggling to receive his U.S. citizenship, she went to the church and prayed for his paperwork to finally be processed. And when a family member was unwell, she went to the church and prayed for their health to improve. As most of you in this room know, Cindy was an extremely positive person and she believed that with support we could overcome any trial or tribulation—which leads me to my last example of Cindy’s spirit:

3. Cindy loved underdogs. She loved the story of the person who, when faced with life’s toughest obstacles, rose above them to the surprise of everyone around them. We’d often watch the big tennis matches on TV together and she always loved it when the lower-seeded player surprised everyone by triumphing over the more seasoned player. She loved movies where the down-on-her luck character breaks though their situation and goes on to live a happy life. And she loved the true-life tales of underdogs who, in the face of poverty or illness, were able to find joy and love in their lives. And I am sure many of us would consider Cindy Rono an underdog as well. For, we all know, she was an unsung hero who never took credit for all the work she did while on Earth.

I am going to miss Cindy Rono tremendously. She was my partner in crime, my Las Vegas partner, my Scooter partner, and a great partner in life. And I am sure if I were to ask all of you, you would also be able to remember a time that Cindy was a partner to you, an angel, a confidante, and a best friend that you will never forget. I know I will never forget her.

(Delivered 10/18/2008)