Cynthia Mae Simmons

Cynthia Mae was born in Portland on May 15, 1953, the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Smith) Russo. She was the sixth of eight children and grew up in the Munjoy Hill area of Portland, cherishing many wonderful childhood memories. She will be deeply missed by her surviving siblings: Sandra Aceto, Carol (Rick) Miles, Greg (Rhonda) Russo, Brenda (Tim) Napolitano, and Mary-Jo (Michael) Lawry.

Cynthia worked hard to provide for her family. She dedicated many years as a Certified Nursing Assistant, compassionately caring for the elderly.

Family was Cynthia’s greatest joy. She was extremely proud of her three daughters—Catherine, Mary-Jo, and Lisa—and welcomed a bonus son, Mark Lee, when she married Curt Simmons in 1981. She often said, “I clearly did something right,” whenever she spoke of her children.

Cynthia lived life to the fullest and always did things her way. She loved music, good food, the beach, and the sun. A devoted Boston Red Sox fan, she never missed a game and loved discussing the team’s performance with her grandchildren every chance she got. She also enjoyed Beano and card games, spending many afternoons at Seaside Nursing Home playing with her friends Jane and Kim.

In addition to her siblings, Cynthia is survived by her children, Catherine (Richard) Kimball, Mary-Jo (Jacob) Wright, and Lisa (Marcus) Scarafoni; her grandchildren, Courtney (Tyler) Tait, Jonelle Foley, Matthew Kimball, Eliza Foley, Daniel Kimball, Jessica Foley, Anthony Scarafoni, Dominic Scarafoni, and Isabelle Wright; her great-grandson, Oliver Bressette; and many loving nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Curt Simmons; her parents, James and Elizabeth Russo; her sisters, Catherine Russo and Rose Whitman; and her granddaughter, Sophia Scarafoni.

Cynthia’s children extend heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Seaside Nursing Home for the excellent care and genuine affection they provided over the past two years. She thrived during her time there, thanks to her devoted caretakers, many of whom she considered dear friends.