In Memoriam: Cynthia Schuneman

Chorus America mourns the passing of Cynthia Schuneman, a loyal colleague, valued business partner, and dear friend to staff, board, and so many of our members. On behalf of our whole community, we send our condolences to her husband Bob while celebrating her life.

Obituary:

Cynthia Ferguson Schuneman of Newton, Massachusetts died in hospice at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, on August 17, 2012 after a long battle with cancer. Cynthia was part owner, rental librarian and sales consultant for 26 years at ECS Publishing Corporation, the parent company of E. C. Schirmer Music Company and Galaxy Music Corporation. She is survived by her husband, Robert; a sister, Nancy F. Archer of Fort Wayne, IN; her daughter, Christa S. Lyons and two grandchildren, James and Matthew, of Framingham, MA; and her son, Timothy R. Schuneman, of Chandler, AZ. Born October 3, 1939, Cynthia was raised on her parent's farm in Scobey, Montana. She continued her education at Depauw University, Greencastle, Indiana (Bachelor of Music), and The School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary, New York (Master of Sacred Music, 1963). Following graduate school, she became the Assistant Music Director at Trinity English Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was married to Robert Schuneman in 1965 in Fort Wayne. Cynthia held middle school music teaching positions in Winnetka, IL and Queensbury, NY before moving to suburban Boston in 1976. She worked for a time at the Carley Realty Agency in Newton, MA before joining her husband's music publishing firm in 1986. Cynthia's first bout with breast cancer occurred in 1984; a second occurrence of breast cancer in the late '90s preceded her diagnosis with lung cancer in 2010. As a result of treatment of the first occurrence she struggled with manual treatment of lymphedema in the left arm, and this led her to become an active advocate for The National Lymphedema Network, and the various cancer research centers in Boston. Known for her kind and generous personality as well as for her unfailingly good service, she will be missed both by ECS Publishing and the many clients and friends, conductors and musicians, that she befriended. Private family interment of her ashes will take place at a later date in Montana. Those wishing to honor her with a memorial contribution may do so in her name to The National Lymphedema Network at the following link: <www.lymphnet.org/donationForm.htm>