Cynthia "Cindy" Ann Zeck's Obituary
Cynthia “Cindy” Ann Zeck, 60 years old, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota died peacefully February 21st in Columbus, Ohio under the fiercely compassionate care of the OSU Medical ICU staff. Cindy had recently earned her 40-year sobriety chip and she is now pain-free running with the Goddess and her service dog Baby Girl!
February 22nd was scheduled to be the date of her long-awaited knee replacement surgery, but her body said, “No!” and despite the best available care and with multiple systems failing, she lost consciousness Thursday (2/16) never to revive.
Cindy was the daughter of Sandra “Sandy” (Athelstan) Zeck and Gerry Zeck, both deceased. Additional family include her loving stepparents, Pam “Pammie” (Tuke) Zeck (Mike) and Glen Michael. Her chosen sister is Rose Rhodes; brothers are Christopher (Regina) and Adrian (Lindsay) Zeck and Jeff (Merilee) and Chris (Joan) Michael. Cindy is also survived by her Aunts Jan and Jeannie and Uncles Greg and Gary. She adored her nieces Winter and Jillian and her nephews Shayne (Lyuba) and Johann. Cindy was one of 23 cousins.
Among her legion of friends and admirers - too many to name here - the dearest was Kristy.
Born with Cerebral Palsy to parents who were warned their infant daughter might not survive, the family moved first to Los Angeles, California before settling in Athens, Ohio where her father was a professor. Cindy’s mother resettled them in Columbus where Cindy was active in youth theatre and graduated from Whetstone High School class of 1980.
She was a deep thinker, streetwise, and book smart, having earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees at the Ohio State University. Cindy studied cultural anthropology and wrote a thesis entitled, “Community Health Care Organizing: An Ethnographic Investigation of Capapayo, El Salvador”. It was her rejection as a Peace Corps candidate, solo travel to Europe and subsequent experience doing ministry-based volunteering in El Salvador that allowed her to begin a lifelong effort to confront unfairness and injustice. Stubborn and creative she was an activist for good. Generous and kind, Cindy was thrifty beyond measure. She reveled in rescuing unwanted, discarded or under-utilized goods to purposely redistribute to meet the needs of others.
Cindy possessed a radical openness and was a selfless leader in the recovery community because of her capacity to love unconditionally and to forgive without bitterness. A staunch non-conformist, feminist and activist she was well loved for her tireless commitment to serving the sober lesbian community. Cindy lived the program as a womyn who “walked the walk and talked the talk”. She donated countless hours to Central Office, many AA committees, WOW, Round-up, Amethyst, House of Hope as well as hosting events at Subamuh Land, and a decade plus of Thursday night potlucks. She additionally demonstrated her service to the recovery community as coordinator of Sober Support services at both the Michigan Womyn’s Music and the Ohio Lesbian Festivals. She was a carpenter crew member at MichFest. She loved to travel and enjoyed her many road trips to visit family in Florida, Arkansas, New York and Massachusetts.
Cindy was renowned for homemade protest signs and post cards, her one-womyn (two if you count Kristy) campaigns against injustice and her bumper stickers. In these last few years as her physical challenges mounted, and her capacity for street action dimmed, she loved to sit and visit with friends. Maybe share a bonfire, watch TV or play cards. A most magnificent storyteller, whose frequent long
windup may have required close listening, but the story’s final moral or lesson was always worth the time and effort. Those blessed to be in her company were likely to leave both wiser and in possession of an item(s) she had at some point recovered and KNEW was exactly what YOU needed! Treasure those items, if you are lucky enough to have been so gifted.
We are all a little diminished to no longer be able to stand in the presence of this woman and her indomitable will.
There will be no funeral services and in respect to Cindy’s wishes her body will be cremated. An open house “Party for Cindy” will take place the afternoon of Saturday June 10th at her home. All of Cindy’s people – family, friends, neighbors and those she touched with her generosity, advocacy and caring are encouraged – if they are able – to attend.
What’s your fondest memory of Cynthia?
What’s a lesson you learned from Cynthia?
Share a story where Cynthia's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Cynthia you’ll never forget.
How did Cynthia make you smile?