Cynthia Kemper Dietrich

With a smile that could disarm a storm and blue eyes that sparkled with mischief and kindness, Cynthia Kemper Dietrich lived her 37 years as a fierce tigress - meeting every obstacle with grit, grace, and a generous heart. Born with spina bifida, she refused to be defined by it. Instead, she built a life rich in service, friendship, laughter, and love.

Born November 14, 1987, Cynthia was the cherished daughter of Sheila Kemper Dietrich and Walter Reich Dietrich; adored sister of August Reich Dietrich and Andrew Warrick Dietrich; and the beloved granddaughter of Marjorie Reich Dietrich and William Gale Dietrich, as well as Cynthia Warrick Kemper, R. Crosby Kemper, and Mary “Bebe” Stripp Kemper Hunt. From her earliest days, she radiated joy that drew people in and made them feel like family.

Horses were her first great love. Beginning at 18 months old, she found freedom in therapeutic riding at Heartland and later the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, where she took joy in the challenge to learn and grow as a rider. She loved her sidewalkers, leaders, and fellow riders nearly as much as she loved her trusted steeds - “Walker” being her favorite. Wintertime brought another joy - adaptive skiing at Winter Park with her father and the friends she made on the slopes. In her own home, her studio became a haven for painting, and as suited her personality, she gifted her works to family and friends.

Cynthia’s education spanned Children’s TLC, Pembroke Hill, Swinney, Volker, St. Paul’s, Bishop Miege, Boulder High School, and Front Range Community College. Her love for children guided her career in early childhood education with the YMCA in Longmont and Loveland, where she was adored by her students and colleagues alike. She adored her “kids,” and her colleagues admired the way she made every child feel seen and capable.

Service was Cynthia’s north star. She volunteered from an incredibly young age and for years at places that shaped her, including at CTLC, where she helped other youngsters with special needs learn how to navigate their own differing abilities; in Boulder at Boulder Day Nursery School; and at Bal Swan in Erie, Colorado— taking two buses and wheeling nearly a mile to get there. Her perseverance and warmth earned her recognition as the “Bebe Price Volunteer of the Year” in Colorado, but the real award, she’d say, was the chance to teach younger children with mobility or learning differences the “tricks of the trade” she had mastered herself.

She also cherished the less usual yet perfect moments that make a life. On her 10th birthday, spent in a hospital, her Uncle Jack stacked a tower of chairs into an impressive sculpture so that her family and friends could throw a proper party. She loved whale-watching with her beloved Granddaddy and Gammy Kemper off Chatham, later recalling the unique markings of each named whale as if describing old friends. Autumn meant pressing apples and hay-wagon rides with her adored grandparents, Gigi and Papa, at their farm, “Pondwood,” outside Kansas City, and enjoying time with her Dietrich cousins.

Cynthia was an animal whisperer at heart. She adored her orange tabby, Picasso, who returned her devotion in kind. Cynthia spent the last part of her life living independently in her own home in Longmont, only minutes from her parents…it was a wish come true for her.

She is survived by her parents, Sheila and Walter; her brothers, August and Andrew; her grandmother, Bebe; her godparents Jack Rees, Laura Kline Lazarus & Michael Lazarus, Sally Von Werlof Uhlmann, Heather Kemper Miller, and Mariner Kemper; many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, countless friends, devoted caregivers, and her beloved cat, Picasso.

Those who knew Cynthia will remember her not for the hurdles she faced, but for the way she turned them into an adventure. She taught us to lead with courage, find joy in the marvelous, and meet the world with a smile.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Longmont, Colorado at a later date. Donations in her honor may be made to Children’s TLC, Heartland Therapeutic Riding Center, Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, or the YMCA of Northern Colorado.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com with her loving family.