Cindy (Zimmerman) Boldebuck

“How sweet it is to love someone, how right it is to care.” A John Denver fan until the end, Cindy (Zimmerman) Boldebuck, having watched her last sunset with her family, passed away peacefully on July 12, 2025, after a courageous and graceful two-year battle with cancer. As she looked out over Lake Travis, Cindy felt the comfort of knowing that she had spent her life, even after her diagnosis, sharing her love and her kindness with everyone she encountered. Although quite gentle, Cindy loved fiercely.

Cindy was born in Pasadena, TX, in 1957, but didn’t stay there long. Alongside her younger sister, Dena, and baby brother, Rusty, her family moved often, so much so that Cindy attended 13 schools in 12 years. In 1979, she moved to Austin after taking classes in San Marcos at Southwest Texas State University. Soon after, she could be found working at the iconic Filling Station Restaurant, first waiting tables and then becoming a manager.

It was during this time that Cindy met the love of her life, Harry Zimmerman, and the two married on Memorial Day weekend in 1983, the start of what would become a 42-year marriage. After a short stint in Washington, DC, where she gave birth to their oldest, Amy, the family moved back to Austin for good in 1987. Their family was complete with the arrival of their youngest, Adam, in 1990.

For more than 30 years, they called Barton Hills home, becoming an integral part of the community. But, to Cindy, putting down roots in Austin never meant being stuck in one place. She and her family explored nearly 20 countries around the world—from Costa Rica and South Korea to Spain, Italy, and Greece. She also enjoyed cruises to Alaska, the Galápagos, and Canada with Harry and their best friends, Marji and Craig Calvert.

Despite all the wonderful travel, there was nowhere Cindy enjoyed more than being home with her family and friends. One of her biggest joys was making her house a comfortable, inclusive, and happy place for her family and friends. From sing-a-longs by the Christmas tree, to margaritas before ACL Fests, Cindy created a warm environment for anyone who walked through the front door.

She loved a glass of wine—white, with 3 ice cubes—at sunset, overlooking the lake. But more than anything, she cherished getting to be Nana to her two grandsons, Charlie and Levi. Charlie will always remember it was Nana who taught him to read, and Levi will always know his Nana as the “number one snuggler.” Both simply adored their Nana.

In addition to excelling at running the household, maintaining beautiful, lifelong friendships, and being part of the same book club for almost 40 years, Cindy had a passion for art. Whether it was working with her friend, Sharon, making beads and necklaces out of polymer clay, spending summers making and selling mosaic stepping stones with her sister-in-law, Linda, knitting blankets and scarves for her friends and teddy bears for charity, or working on beautiful collages made from mixed media, Cindy loved tapping into the creative part of her soul.

Cindy always found meaningful ways to give her time and her love. She was an active volunteer for many organizations and charities, and instilled those values in her children and grandchildren from an early age. From working at Camp Hope while in high school, to decades of AIDS walks with ASA, bowling with adult athletes at the Special Olympics, and assisting Katrina victims (including one family for over 10 years), Cindy felt her truest self when giving back and connecting with others. She even celebrated her sixtieth birthday by getting her friends together to help make and donate 60 “birthday parties in a box” to children who might not otherwise have a way to celebrate their own birthdays.

Cindy is survived by her husband, Harry Zimmerman, her daughter, Amy Winslow (Bryan Winslow), and son, Adam Zimmerman (Mary Ann McKenzie), as well as her two grandsons, Charlie and Levi Winslow. She is also survived by her parents, James and Wanda Boldebuck, as well as her sister, Dena Garcia (John Garcia). Cindy is preceded in death by her beloved younger brother, Rusty Boldebuck, an early victim of the AIDS epidemic. She is also survived by many beloved brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

Cindy will be mourned, missed, and celebrated for the rest of the lives of all who knew and loved her. May her memory be a blessing.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Lakeway Resort, 101 Lakeway Drive, Lakeway, Texas 78734, on Sunday, August 3rd at 2 p.m. As an alternative to traditional black, the family has requested colorful, joyful attire.

In lieu of flowers, it was Cindy’s wish that those who loved and now mourn her consider a donation to two places that she held close to her heart:

● Swan Songs, Musical Last Wishes (www.swansongs.org, 2101 S I-35 Frontage Rd Suite 219, Austin, TX 78741)

● Project Transitions which works with AIDS and HIV patients (www.projecttransitions.org, PO Box 4826, Austin, TX 78765)