Cynthia Kay Burdeshaw

On Monday, January 20, 2025, Cynthia Kay Burdeshaw stepped off this Mortal Coil. She left with peace and grace, departing exactly the way she had planned. The planet dimmed that day, but the small indelible mark she has left, reverberates through those that knew her. Cynthia was born to Bobbie J. Dodson and Almon Owens in Jonesboro Arkansas on July 3,1947. Her early life was full of tumult and poverty, but she soldiered through it. She would spend her summers picking cotton to make money for school clothes and she would dote on her younger brothers, Gary, Ronnie and Michael (then later, Jack). Many folks then and now, simply knew her as Kay. In the 1960’s she moved to Evansville, Indiana where she would meet the Father of her two children, George Smith. She and George would marry and move to Bloomington, Indiana where George wrote for the Herald Telephone. In Bloomington she would give birth to Son Kevin (Burdeshaw) and then Daughter Dawn (Starkey) three years later. In 1970 George died suddenly and Kay was left raising two young children. Months later, she would meet the love of her life, Dan Burdeshaw. They married in 1971, and Dan would later adopt her two children and raise them as his own. Their adoration for one another was unwavering. Dan and Cynthia would live, love and adventure through life together for the next 30 years. They owned antique stores, furniture refinishing companies and even a pizza shop with their son for a short while. Their adventures took them here and there across America and they spent every second together. Through thick and thin, the ups and downs, their dedication to each other was unwavering. They were separated by Dan’s death in 2000, and Cynthia carried on, she was somewhat diminished but managed to be resiliently positive after a time. Dan remained the love of her life until her passing. Cynthia was preceded in death by brothers, Gary, Ron and Jack. Her Mother and Father, 2 husbands and numerous friends and family members. She is survived by her son Kevin, his wife Sonia, their children (her grandchildren) Lilith and Logan. Her daughter Dawn Starkey, her husband Dylan and their children (her grandchildren) Danielle and Devan. She also leaves behind one brother Michael Owens, and more nieces, nephews, grandnieces/nephews and cousins than can possibly be listed (she loved you all). Kay was a master gardener, amateur golfer, an educated antiquities enthusiast and tireless spirit. She loved friends and family with a ferocity that was hard to match. She kept dogs as companions throughout her life and had a preternatural connection to these canine friends, often referring to them as her “boys” – naturally, she would like her friends and family to donate to their local shelter in her name (money, toys, food or blankets), instead of grieving her loss. Please turn her absence into something positive (donate to cancer research as well) … anything that helps those less fortunate. And please, do it in her name. One of Kay’s most outstanding and compelling attributes was her ability to make friends. Everywhere she went, whether the waiter at the restaurant, the teller at the bank, the nurse taking her blood pressure or a person standing in line at the grocery store, they were each and every one, considered a person worth knowing. She had a transcendental ability to make someone’s acquaintance in the most natural, affable and genuine way. This was Cynthia’s legacy, to be kind and draw kindness from all she met. To just be friends with everyone she could. She inhabited “affable” so effortlessly. “I just like people,” She would say with a smile. “I try to be kind to everyone.” So, if you can take one thing from a life well lived, take this: In an age where cruelty and conflict seem to be fashionable… dare to be different. Like Kay. Be kind and make friends with people you might have nothing in common with. Reach out to the person different than you. Introduce yourself and shake hands. No matter how different they may be, you’ll find that our Humanness towards one another dissolves animosity and distrust so effortlessly. The courage to build friendships with those who look, talk, think, worship or love differently than you can make a phenomenal difference in their life. In turn, your life will blossom with a fulfilled sense of awe at how a small act of kindness and compassion can enrich you in ways that you never thought possible. Go ahead…do it. Make friends fearlessly. Do it for Kay

Tributes

Cynthia Kay Burdeshaw

July 3, 1947 - January 20, 2025