LaCinda "Cindy" Grace Readinger

LaCinda "Cindy" Grace Readinger was born LaCinda Grace Dauberman on February 11, 1948, in Harrisburg, PA.  She was the second daughter of George and Sara Dauberman, and the younger sister of Bonita (Dauberman) Travitz.  Cindy grew up in Lykens, Pennsylvania, a small-town north of Harrisburg.  She was a talented clarinetist and despite her lack of height, she played basketball throughout high school and later, nursing school.  After graduating from Upper Dauphin High School in 1966, she attended Drexel University (formerly Hahnemann Hospital School of Nursing), where she earned her bachelor's degree and became a registered nurse.

Cindy met the love of her life, David Readinger, while still in high school.  They were married in the middle of a snowstorm on February 14, 1970, yes- they were so in love they got married on Valentine’s Day.  They recently celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary.  Cindy's entire world revolved around her Read, her four daughters and her ten grandchildren, with her nursing career coming in a close second.

To say Cindy loved nursing is an understatement.  However, her family absolutely came first.  When her daughters were young, she worked 3 pm- 11 pm shifts at Hershey Medical Center, so that she could be home for her girls, who never had to go to daycare.  She later changed jobs and worked weekend alternatives at Odd Fellows Nursing Home, again so that she could optimize her time with her family, while still working in a field she loved.  Cindy was always able to be actively involved in her girls' activities.  She volunteered as a Brownie/Girls Scout leader and classroom parent.  She attended her daughter's softball games, field hockey games, dance recitals, choral concerts, and band concerts, as three of her daughters followed in her footsteps and played the clarinet too.  As adults, Cindy was instrumental in helping her daughters deal with life’s unexpected challenges, never hesitating to be there when they needed her.

When Dave and Cindy moved their family to Bowie, Maryland in September 1987, she took a full-time nursing position at Prince Georges Hospital, where she remained until her retirement in 2015, continuing to work after a fall on the job that left her with two back surgeries and ongoing pain.  She loved working as a nurse, and it became very clear to her family over the past week that she was highly thought of and made a lasting impact on those she formerly worked with.  

While being a nurse was one of Cindy's proudest achievements, being a wife, mom, and nanna was the core of who she was.  Cindy often joked that she always wanted four boys, but God gave her four girls, foiling her plans of naming them Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John (just so all she would have to do is yell "New Testament" when she wanted them all to come running).  However, God did her one better and blessed her with seven amazing grandsons, three fierce and sassy granddaughters and a step-granddaughter.  

Cindy, who was often affectionally called Nanna by many other than her grandkids, spent as much time as possible with her family.  She became an expert in lacrosse which became a passion.  She spent countless hours freezing or sweating on the side of some field, cheering on her grandkids at their many soccer, lacrosse, basketball, softball, baseball, and hockey games.  And if she physically could have, she probably would have been down on those same fields giving some ref a piece of her mind when they dared to make a call against one of her grandkids.  She was famous for her cooking and for whipping out one of her many kitchen gadgets to throw together a meal for a hungry grandchild at the drop of a hat and no matter the time of day.  Cindy turned into that Nanna who would spoil her grandkids, letting them get away with way more than she ever allowed her daughters.  And despite having so many grandkids, she somehow managed to be incredibly involved in all their lives and was able to form a special bond with each and every one of them.  

Cindy was affectionately known to her loved ones as Ma Ding Dong, Colonel Klink, and Cindy Lou.  She was the flinger of beer bottles and a recent drinker of wine.  She loved coffee, chocolate, making homemade greeting cards, and snuggling under soft blankets- particularly in front of a fire while it snowed.  She loved to sew, knit, and crochet.  Most recently, she was proud of making t-shirts and sweatshirts for Hans and Franz and Frick and Frack on her Cricut.  Cindy was a fan the Green Bay Packers, and the Washington Caps.  Sadly, she passed before picking her bracket for March Madness, which she loved to do. 

Cindy passed away peacefully on March 16, 2022.  She is proceeded in death by her parents, George and Sara Dauberman, and her sister Bonita Travitz, wife of William Travitz.  She is survived by her husband, David, her daughters Rebecca (Bill) Bell, Jennifer (Chad) Carson, Rachel (Brian) Doyle and Erin Schuettler; her 10 grandchildren: Zach, Ryan, Jacob, Joey, Adam, Kate, Cullen, Tyler, Addison and Delaney; her step-granddaughter Kourtni Hatton, her step great-grandson, Hayden, several nieces and nephews; and her two fur babies, Molly and Bailey.

To our beloved Mom and Nanna, we just want you to know that we will love and miss you always. You don’t have to worry about Dad….there’s way too many of us for him ever to be alone, even if he starts to complain.  We’ll make sure he takes his medicine and doesn’t sleep too much.  We’ll make it a point to yell, “Dave…David!” at him every so often.  We take comfort in knowing that for the first time in way too long, you are at peace and pain free.  Rest easy, Cindy Lou.  We love you, love you lots.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Cindy’s memory, in honor of her grandson Tyler, to the Down Syndrome Association of Maryland:  DSAmd.org/donate   P.O.Box 20127, Baltimore, MD 21286