Cynthia Lou Madore

Cynthia Lou Madore, 71, of Goodview, passed away Thursday, December 15, 2022. Mom came from a line of Schottmiller’s, a tough, loyal, devoted family line. She had a hard childhood and through her life she experienced a lot of challenges, tragedy, and heartwork. Mom overcame so much, and despite poor conditions as a mom trying to raise her two little kids (Brion and me) she made the most to help us grow up well and better than she did. She took us to work with her and took us to Philpott lake all year round. We even had picnics in January. We visited Natural Bridge many times and after drove up to New York when we were younger to visit Grandma, Aunt Elenore, cousins Donna, Brenda, Harry, Tina, and so many other families. We have a big beautiful family.

Mom gave Brion and me opportunity to be ourselves and explore, whether playing instruments in school, participating in plays, running through fields and forests to go to friends places, riding our bikes to Boones Mill, riding my pony all over the place, and continue on into high school participating in different organizations, she encouraged us, supported us, let us have the freedom to grow, develop, be who we were going to be, all the while ensuring we minded our manners. We had boundaries, curfews, chores, and were expected to do well in school.

Mom had little materially, but gave us so much more to Brion and me as well as countless others she met and befriended. Devotion, loyalty, importance of family, live life to the full, appreciate the little things, work hard, even though it may be hard. I find today as I sort through Mom’s things, her thousands of photos, how much like Mom I am. I take the same kind of pictures, go for walks (she and I used to go for walks with the dogs together), feed and watch the birds, create and make gifts for people, visit antique shops, enjoying curling up with a good book, only…. She was way better and more creative. Maybe because she was left handed. Her handwriting was beautiful, her drawings amazing, she could grow all kinds of plants, manage amazing miniature to large water gardens, restore all kinds of antiques, especially furniture. Her sewing and embroidery work was absolutely fantastic.

Mom put her heart into everything she did, her true friends, and if she did not have a good day, she only indicated very little of how difficult things might be, and only to her deepest friends, her dogs. Mom’s best friend from National Business College, Lisa, is such a blessing to us, and can attest to Mom’s affinity for her dogs. Jack Russel terriers, Magie Bean being the first, then Daisy. She eventually bred the Jack Russell terriers, rescued some, and did agility training with them. I go to go with her once or twice, it was fun. She had Sizzler, Elmo, Hunter, Trooper, Kali, Joy, Pixie, Spudley, and then her last rescue is Chance, a Chihuahua mix. She thinks he is mixed with Shiba Inv, who knows? Mom took him in , a traumatized, scared, fear biting, dog aggressive, men hating, 15 lb terror. She helped him through some of those things, and her dogs, helped Mom continue to live life to the full, heal, and be the amazing Cindie, so well loved and missed by so many.

I had so much I wanted to tell Mom when I flew out to see her and spend time with her for Christmas. I wanted to tell Mom how sorry I was and am for being such a blind, selfish, critical, prideful brat over the years and not seeing everything she truly was and did for my brother and me. I wanted to tell her sorry for taking her for granted. I wanted to tell her how much more like her I am than I accepted, until recently, and I am glad I have so much of Mom in me. I suppose there is more hope for me after all. I wanted to make it up to Mom, change, make things better and right for the years I did not do so. Take her to lunch, go to antique malls, take the dogs for walks, visit Philpott Lake and Natural Bridge, go have a margarita together. (Mom, remember years ago when we were having dinner at a restaurant, Macado’s, I think, and that man came walking out of the restroom with toilet paper trailing from his shoe? Yikes, what a good laugh.) I regret not being able to say these things in person, Mom, while you were alive. I regret not being able to relive these memories and laugh and cry together with you, in person, alive.

Mom, I love you. I am your mini-me. I miss you. I am so sorry. I promise I will try to be more thoughtful and appreciative like you. I promise to take care of and love Chance and Spudley, until their time comes to cross the Rainbow Bridge. I promise I am going to learn how to use the embroidery machine, relearn that sewing machine you got me started on so many years ago.
I love you Mom,
Love, Pennilyn

To all those who knew and loved our Mom, your friend Cindie, by all means, feel free to share your memories. I know Mom would appreciate it.