Obituary of Cynthia Sandra RIEGER

May 23, 1965 – Calgary, Alberta
August 8, 2020 – Calgary, Alberta

Cynthia Rieger - beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, and (most recently) dog mom - passed away suddenly on Saturday, August 8, 2020 at the age of 55.

Known lovingly by all as "Cyndi," she was a self-proclaimed introvert who, despite her best efforts to convince us otherwise, was a social butterfly. Always armed with a smile and her signature laugh, she treated everyone like an old friend. Friendly to a fault, you couldn't help but like Cyndi; she will be remembered fondly.

Born May 23, 1965, Cyndi was one of the rare few who lived, stayed, and eventually passed away in Calgary, AB.

She met her husband when they both worked for Touche Ross. Sid was an accountant, Cyndi, a secretary. And the rest is history. Cyndi was well-loved by her co-workers and, after leaving the company for the lifelong pursuit of homemaker; she was just as well-loved by her husband's colleagues. At company parties, she was always one of the last to leave.

She never went a day without saying, "I love you." Sometimes she would say it, but more often Cyndi would show it: with a phone call, talking about nothing for hours; with an unexpected gift where her only explanation was "it made me think of you"; with a fresh cup of coffee, prepared just the way you like.

If family is her first love, then Cyndi's garden was her second. Twelve years' worth of time and effort, sweat and tears, were poured into that garden and, despite talks of eventually moving to a different home, she could never seriously imagine moving away. It wasn't unusual for neighbours to ask who her gardener was and if they could hire them. To which the answer was always a flattered "it's me" and "no."

Of all her flowers, Cyndi's roses were her favourite. If asked, she was always more than happy to give you a tour of those in particular. From "John" to "Oscar" and many more, she knew her roses like the back of her hand.

The only thing that could rival Cyndi's dedication to her garden was her obsession with movies. Although she was, above all, a horror fanatic, Cyndi was a cinephile whose love for film knew no genre. Her ability to recall actors and movie titles was unrivalled: start describing one, and several words later she would pluck the name from a trivia-wired brain. That was an especially impressive feat for a woman who would also ask you the same question three times within an hour.

Her stubborn streak manifested itself in the most unlikely of hobbies; jigsaw puzzles. Once she started puzzling, Cyndi never could stop and would spend hours hovering around the table, long after her daughters and sisters had left to take a break.

Besides her loving husband Sid, Cyndi is survived by her four children, Brett Rieger, Crystal Davies, Jessica Rieger, and Taylor Rieger; her granddaughters, Hazel and Olive Davies; and her dog Sunny.

She is also survived by her mother, Violet Kesjar, her sisters, Erica (Jeff) Lebbert and Monica (Marc) Francescangeli; and many nieces, cousins, and friends.

Cyndi was predeceased by her father, Louis Kesjar.

Funeral Services will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB) on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on Cyndi's obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com.

In living memory of Cyndi, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis and Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.