Cyndi Claire Christ Buel

Cyndi Claire Christ Buel passed away Thursday July 14,2016 surrounded by family, friends, and incredible nurses at The Heart Hospital of Austin. Cyndi was born to Jackie Mae and Robert James Christ in Lake Charles, Louisiana on October 27, 1957 and lived in Lake Charles until after she graduated from St. Louis High School in 1975. She then moved with her parents to Beaumont, TX where she attended Lamar University and joined the Kappa Delta sorority. After joining KD, she soon met Mack who began courting her by flattening her tire in the parking lot and then miraculously appearing at her time of need to change the tire. Still nearly 40 years later, she loved to tease him about "AOT" which is some KD secret that she would never tell no matter how much he begged or how much Two Fingers Tequila was involved. These love birds married July 12, 1980 and soon moved to Lumberton… and Halloween on Ginger Lane would be forever changed.

Cyndi spent most of her adult life mom-ing. Christen was born in 1986 and Allison in 1993, but she also served as a "second mom" to so many. In fact we wish Mom could see all of the messages we've received in the past week from all the people who thought of her as their second mom. This may be true because she was so incredibly involved in her daughters' lives that all of their friends felt like they were also her children just by association. Cyndi only thought her calling in life was to be a great mom, but then she became Moey.

Camryn and Claire were her everything. She often joked with Christen about loving them more than her, but that it was okay because she would understand one day when she was a grandmother. Cyndi would arrange her entire schedule around Camryn and Claire, whether it be for school parties or functions or to be their transportation to and from school. Moey was more of a second mom than a grandmother.

After moving to Austin in 2008, Cyndi began working as a case manager for Bluebonnet Trails where she was able to put her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology to the best use. She poured her whole heart into her work with these children, all the way from taking calls and texts no matter what time of night to finding local churches and organizations to pay electric bills for "her kids'" families. So many of the children she worked with relied completely on her guidance as many of them did not have ideal home lives. She was their constant. Their second mom.

Cyndi left us suddenly and unexpectedly, but we find comfort in knowing that although we may not always understand God's plan, we know he has the perfect plan. She is survived by her husband Mack Buel, daughter Christen Calabrese and son-in-law Zack Calabrese, daughter Allison Buel, mother Jackie Christ, brother Jack Christ, granddaughters Camryn and Claire, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. In true Cyndi form, in her death, she has restored health and healed lives of over fifty strangers by selflessly donating her viable organs and tissues.

Assuming there are no lizards in Heaven, mom has gone on to a better place. If there are lizards in Heaven, then Mom will be found standing on top of a table screaming for help until one of us get there to eradicate the pests.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Cyndi's Grandkids' (both current and future) Education Fund. The savings account is held at Wells Fargo; account number 5724830913.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at Emmaus Catholic Church, 1718 Lohmans Crossing Road in Lakeway, TX.