Mrs. Cynthia Ann Reed Ayers, 67, passed away comfortably in Ruby Memorial Hospital Sunday, January 19, 2025, comforted by the presence of her husband and sister. Please know, she fought the illness that took her life gallantly, but in the end, there were just too many complications to overcome.
It is difficult to describe the life of and honor the wishes of a private person. She would probably be upset that anything more was written other than she was taken away unexpectedly and will be missed by all who loved her.
She was a home body who took pleasure in the simple things in life – home, animals and her loved ones. Her favorite thing to do was care for her cats, Sis and Shorty, and her part-time dog, Mia. She developed a complex twice-a-day feeding routine for the cats to make sure that they did not eat just one boring flavor of food. To do this she kept about a zillion cans and bags of all flavors of food on hand. The first feeding was just after 5 a.m. Mia always got special treats and treatment because she was her favorite (she got to sleep in on overnight stays to sometimes 6 a.m.).
In between feedings, Cynthia worked around the house or in the yard taking time to watch her favorite soap opera that she recorded – recorded, so she could fast forward through the commercials or the parts that were of limited interest to her.
Most warm evenings were spent outside sitting in our driveway. We would joke about being the official neighborhood greeters. Consistent with her love of animals, she would always make sure to have treats on hand for the dogs that passed by. She thought of any dog as part of her extended family. It was not uncommon for her to learn the names of the dogs before that of the owner.
Shopping was her passion. She would always buy two of just about everything, thinking she needed a spare just in case the first one wore out. She would be reluctant to wear the new stuff because it was too good to wear or she wanted to save it.
She had a bit of a lead foot. After all, what’s wrong with getting up to the speed limit a bit faster than the next guy? She drove a stick shift most of her life and was proud of it. Unfortunately, her last car was an automatic. She would say, “Paddle shifters are just not the same as banging gears”.
She talked often, if not daily, with her two sisters, Harriet and Marsha. The first call would ring at 7:15 a.m. The conversations would cover a wide range of topics from the happenings on the soap opera to some Monday morning quarterbacking, which came with some unique perspectives on how the game should have been coached or played.
She will be deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved her.
Consistent with her wishes, there will be no services. If you wish to honor her life, please do so by contributing to Animal Friends of North Central West Virginia, P.O. Box 1090, Dellslow, WV 26531; or a local pet shelter of one’s choice.
McCulla Funeral Home has provided cremation services.
Condolences may be extended to the family at www.mcculla.com
