Cynthia Weissman

Cynthia was born on May 5, 1936, in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Pearl (Singer) Carlin. Her parents divorced when she was young, so she grew close to the extended Singer family. It brought Cynthia much joy throughout her life to spend time with her many cousins in the U.S. and in Israel. She adored her grandparents Shlomo (Sam) and Molly Singer, and loved spending time in Manchester, NH with her Uncle Izzy and Auntie Bernice and their family.

If there is one word to describe Cynthia and her core values, it is family. Though her Hebrew name Tziporah means Bird, she was more Lioness, a fiercely devoted daughter, mother and grandmother who embodied resilience, protection, strength and loyalty. It was no secret (because she’d tell you!) that the height of her happiness was in the company of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, wherever they were. Blood was indeed thicker than water for her.

Cynthia married Robert Weissman in 1958 and raised her family in Framingham, Massachusetts. Her son Ken, and daughters Laura and Michelle, remember a loving and funny mother who would not miss a soccer or tennis match, was famous for her grilled barbeque wings she brought to camp on visiting day, and went every Friday without fail to the local fruit market, deli and bakery to stock up, only to just as reliably throw most of that food away the following Thursday. Her mother Pearl said they could eat for a month in Poland on the food Cynthia threw away each week. But her home on Crestwood Drive was a gathering place for the neighborhood kids for the endless supply of food and fun.

In the mid-80s she relocated from Boston to Boca Raton, Florida and began a three-decade run at Boca West, where she loved to golf, exercise in the pool and go to happy hour. Those years were truly golden for Cynthia. She was active, social and had a private bed-and-breakfast, lunch and dinner for her kid’s and grandkid’s visits. Always unapologetically herself, Cynthia was equal parts silly and sarcastic, elegant and blunt. While she never remarried, she had a long-time funship with Irving Applebaum and, after he passed, she was fortunate to re-connect with Fred Cohen, whom she had met in grade school in Brighton, Massachusetts 75 years earlier.

Tzippy loved to travel - particularly to Israel or on board a cruise ship - dine out or see a show, and spend part of her summer in Cape Cod, where she had an affinity for the beaches, fried clams and the scene in Provincetown. She had a strange infatuation with clowns (Oy, the artwork!) and appreciated a beautiful tablescape. She was proudly Jewish and loved to make brisket for the holidays, cook up some Matza Brei on Passover, enjoy a bit of Rugelach or drop a Yiddish expression when the occasion called for it. She was the embodiment of “Dor l’dor”, the importance of transmitting Jewish values, rituals, traditions, and history to the next generation. As she was leaving this world on her final Shabbat, her family was able to sing Shalom Aleichem and say the Shema to her.

Cynthia is survived by her children, Ken Weissman, Laura Davis (Mark Simon) and Michelle (David) Titlebaum, her nine perfect grandchildren, Ari Davis (Beth Helfman), Noah (Ally) Davis, Erica (Jacob) Elson, Jake (Charlotte) Titlebaum, Gabi (my Gabeleh!) Titlebaum, Kol, Naami, and Perri Davis and best boy Benji Titlebaum. She was blessed with 4 (going-on 5) great-grandchildren, Skylar, Mac, Crosby and Cory. The final message her children imparted was that her legacy was secure and that they would pass on her love and spirit to the next generation.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service for Cynthia on Wednesday, April 30 at 12:30pm at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 475 Washington Street, Canton. Burial will follow at the Hebrew Volin Cemetery, 776 Baker Street in West Roxbury.

Following burial, the children will sit Shiva at the Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel, 100 Cabot Street, Needham from 4:00pm-8:00pm and again on Thursday, May 1 from 10:00am-1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Cynthia’s name can be made to the Friends of the March of the Living https://friendsmotl.org/ which specifically helps to send kids on this trip who otherwise cannot afford it.

A final thought. One of Cynthia’s favorite pastimes was reading the obituaries in the Boston Globe. So, we hope that if she read this, she would approve. Rest in peace Tzip.