Cynthia Higgens

Of Burke, VA, passed on September 10, 2019 at the age of 80. Daughter of the late Joseph and Anna (nee August) Erat and sister of Priscilla (Peter) Goldner of Norwalk, CT. She is also survived by nephew Stephen Goldner of Norwalk, CT and cousins Judy O’Donnell of Easthampton, MA and Kathryn Erat of Cambridge, MA. She was preceded in death by nephews Anthony Goldner, Jr. and Eric Goldner. Cynthia was born in Springfield, MA. She graduated from Springfield Technical High School in 1956 and Westfield State College in 1960. She began her teaching career in San Diego, but spend the majority of her career in the Fairfax County, VA school district as a 1st grade teacher. In her free time, Cynthia loved to read and be surrounded by her beloved pet cats. She will be dearly missed by the friends she made while staying at Sunrise at Silas Burke House prior to her passing. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Burke, VA before Cynthia is laid to rest with her family at Brookside Cemetery in Easthampton, MA. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations in Cynthia’s memory to Church of the Nativity, 6400 Nativity Lane, Burke, VA 22015 or to the ASPCA.