Cynthia Sweeney DesRosier, 65, went home to the Lord on May 25, 2022 after walking with Him on her journey through ovarian cancer. Born in Hartford, CT to James “Marty” and Mary (Deveneau) Sweeney, she leaves behind her beloved husband of 42 years, Dean, her children, Jeff and Alyssa DesRosier, Jackie DesRosier and Mark De Los Reyes, her siblings, Mary and Frank Sena, Rita- Ann and Brent Owen, Dawn and Joe Costanzo, Scot and Karren DesRosier, many nieces and nephews.
Cyndi loved her Irish Catholic legacy, music, drama, and working with children. Growing up in Hartford’s Frog Hollow, she attended Immaculate Conception Grammar School and South Catholic High, where she was inspired by caring teachers, including Mr. Childs, her music mentor. She directed the Wethersfield P&R Summer drama program for 12 years. A founding member of Wethersfield’s Corpus Christi Folk group, she later directed the St Helena folk group in West Hartford. After graduating from Hartt School of Music, Cyndi lived her vocation directing musical theatre productions and teaching choir, guitar, keyboard, and general music for over 35 years to generations of students at Martin Kellogg Middle School in Newington, where she met her soulmate, Dean.
She loved reading books aloud with her children, and watching them grow onstage, in school, and on the playing fields, into the amazing people they are. She was especially proud of their choice to teach and touch the future above monetary reward.
Cyndi’s Celtic spirit found God in nature and people; she loved traveling, spending summers with Dean and her family on Cape Cod or our National Parks, and making friends on home exchanges while exploring her ancestry in Ireland and France.
Cyndi saw her cancer journey as going home. “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience”. Though sad about all she will be unable to experience with her loved ones, her mantra was “I’ve been blessed”, remembering 65 years of the Lord’s gifts: her faith, loving family, being able to share her musical and personal gifts with so many children and colleagues, and the privileges she had as an American. She stopped watching the news because it saddens her to see so many hate-filled hypocrites doing everything for their own power and “Pharisees” twisting God’s words, using an ALT-Jesus and enforcing man-made rules to divide us.
The visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 31st from 6:00p.m.- 8:00p.m. at The Glastonbury Boat House, 252 Welles St., Glastonbury, CT 06033 and the funeral will be held on Wednesday June 1st at 10 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 280 Brook Street, Rocky Hill, CT. Burial will be private.
To honor Cyndi’s wishes, masks will be required at both the wake and funeral.
Donations in Cyndi’s memory may be made to Global Arts Los Angeles, Jackie’s nonprofit that brings music instruction to underserved children. https://www.globalartsco.org
