Born Nov. 15, 1946, in Granite City, Illinois, to Jerry and Adele Zahm, Cyndi grew up in a multigenerational home and graduated from Madison (Illinois) High School in 1964. She went on to MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, where she was a member of the synchronized swimming team and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1968.
It was at MacMurray that Cyndi met Jim Siegfried, a business and economics student and member of the MacMuray men’s basketball team. The two married June 15, 1968, in Granite City and moved to Lacon, Illinois. After their family expanded with the birth of their third daughter, they moved to Germantown, Tennessee, in 1980.
Cyndi’s greatest passion was her family. Being a stay-at-home mom to her three daughters was one of the greatest joys of her life. Her last 30 years were filled with her “Seven Wonders” — her grandchildren. She was happiest when homeschooling her youngest granddaughter or cheering on her grandchildren at football games, soccer matches, cheerleading competitions, Mid-South Fair Youth Talent competitions, gymnastics meets and theatre performances. She was their biggest fan and supporter.
Among her many passions, Cyndi served as the coach of the Windyke Country Club Swim Team for 15 years. She was also a fierce competitor on the tennis court and an avid reader. She was known for her impeccable sense of style and hunted bargains with the same fervor and perseverance with which she lived her life.
Cyndi and Jim faced their toughest challenge in 2002 when Jim was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer at age 56. Following a prognosis that gave Jim six months to live, Cyndi channeled her energy and Mensa-certified intellect into learning as much as she could about the disease and becoming an ardent advocate for Jim’s treatment.
Despite Jim’s nine cancer recurrences over the next 16 years, he and Cyndi turned his disease into a platform to minister to others who are facing a life-threatening illness. Their ministry lives on through the thousands of lives they touched through their speaking appearances, the support group they founded, and through Cyndi’s 2009 book, Cancer Journey: a Caregiver’s View from the Passenger Seat.
After Jim’s passing on June 12, 2018 — three days before their 50th wedding anniversary — Cyndi adjusted to a new phase of her life, continuing her advocacy for patients and caregivers through articles she wrote as a freelance writer. On July 11, 2021, Cyndi suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage that slowed her but could not stop her. With the love and support of her family — especially her three daughters — and her own tenacious spirit, she regained a level of independence and persevered to relearn so many everyday things we take for granted.
On June 18, 2022 — less than a year after her first stroke — MacMurray College celebrated her advocacy for cancer patients and caregivers by awarding her an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
A member of Central Church in Collierville, Cyndi is preceded in death by her husband, James David Siegfried; parents, Jerry Delmar Zahm and Margaret Adele (Clinton) Zahm; and infant brother, William Binney Zahm.
Cyndi is survived by her daughters, Dr. Nicole Joy Siegfried (Dr. Chebon Porter) of Bend, Oregon; Tara Noelle Peeper (Cade) of Collierville; Ashleigh Margaret Williams (Christopher) of Germantown, Tennessee; grandsons Dr. Craig Taylor Mason (Bridget) of Bend, James Hunter Mason (Laura) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; James Cade Peeper of Memphis, Tennessee; William Corbin Peeper (Caroline) of Collierville; granddaughters Cynthia Quinn Watkins (Riley) of Collierville; Margaret Gallien Williams and Cynthia Campbell Williams of Germantown; sister-in-law Susan Joy Curtis of Kewanee, Illinois; niece Cecily Joy Wadsager (Jim) of Zion, Illinois; nephew Daniel James Curtis (Cindy) of Chicago, Illinois; life-long best friend Margaret Ann (Harlan) Vaught (Rod) of Edwardsville, Illinois; and goddaughter Lisbeth Lyons Black (Col. Mike Black) of Washington, D.C.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Cyndi’s memory to the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County. The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff of the Baptist Reynolds Hospice House for their care and compassion during Cyndi’s final days.
Services will take place Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Central Church. The family will receive visitors from 10 a.m. to noon, with a celebration of life to begin at noon. A graveside service will follow at Magnolia Cemetery in Collierville.
