Cynthia (Martin) Brown, 76, of Winchester, VA passed away Thursday, February 18, 2021, at her home.

Cynthia was born August 1, 1944 in Front Royal, VA to Hilda and Mortimer Martin. She was their second daughter and the sixth of their seven children. She was raised on Duck Street in Riverton and attended Warren County High School and Roller Business College in Front Royal. After graduation she moved to Arlington, VA. and took a job with the Gas Company in Washington, D.C. While there a co-worker introduced her to a new employee; his name was Terry Brown, and after a brief courtship he proposed. Terry and Cynthia (he called her “Cindy”) were married in Arlington on September 4, 1965.

Their first child, Michael, was born in the summer of 1967 and their first daughter, Theresa, was born just before Christmas 1968. Soon thereafter the family moved to the Pacific Northwest. Their second daughter and third child, Laura, was born in Milwaulkie, OR in August, 1971. They made their home in several towns and cities in Washington and Oregon before the family finally settled, in 1977, in Kennewick, WA. After diligently devoting herself to raising children and keeping a beautiful and loving home for the family, she went back to work in 1988 and joined Lamont’s as a Retail Associate. She tackled her work with her usual “get it done” attitude and thoroughly enjoyed working there. From among the other employees she made several life-long friends. She was a valued employee and received several accolades and awards including the store’s Employee of the Year award in 1996.

Terry passed away in 1997 and she moved back to Virginia in 1999, settling in Winchester. Cynthia started a new career in banking at Southern Financial and was as successful at that as she was in all things to which she put her mind. She retired in 2014. Her younger brother, Glenn, lived with her until his death and, later, her brother Russell stayed with her off-and-on. They enjoyed each other’s company and lived happy, quiet lives. She fought a private, almost two-year long battle with cancer and was brave and strong right to the end. Cynthia loved gardening and her children fondly remember the great joy she took in putting Terry to work building beds and planting trees and shrubs. Her yards were always full of beauty and “happy”. She was an inspired cook, talented decorator, a competent handy-woman, a classy dresser and a fiercely independent woman. She could sew, macrame, crochet and needlepoint. She was a startlingly attractive woman and she aged with grace and dignity. She loved to read and passed that love on to all of her children. The music of John Denver, the Carpenters, Neil Diamond and other pop and country artists filled the house when the kids were young. She loved strong, spoke her mind, expected the best effort of herself and others and was not one to complain or dawdle—when something needed to be done she put her head down and got to it. Cynthia had five grandchildren and she loved them all.

Cynthia was greatly loved and she is dearly missed. She is survived by her children (Michael (Deb) of Arizona, Theresa of Washington and Laura (Kevin) of Pennsylvania) her grandchildren (Jeffrey, Timmy, Hannah, Paige and Morgan), two brothers (Sam and Russell) and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

All services will be private. Arrangements are being handled by Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel.