Cynthia Jane Wald

June 14, 1933 - Feb. 24, 2025

It is with sadness that our family announces the passing of Cynthia Wald at the age of 91. She was a longtime resident of Carmel Woods, having relocated to Monterey during the last years of her life.

Cynthia was born June 14, 1933, in Grafton, North Dakota to Arvid and Ella May Larson. She was the first of two children; her sister, Dorcas, was born five years later. She spent her early years in the tiny farming town of Nash, North Dakota, where her father ran a grain elevator and she attended a one-room school. When she was 10, the family moved to Grafton, North Dakota.

After graduating from high school, Cynthia pursued nursing training at Trinity Hospital in Minot, North Dakota. Upon completing her degree, she continued to work at the hospital as a night supervisor. Subsequently, she moved to Chicago and studied surgical nursing at Cook County Hospital, following which she worked at Passavant Hospital as an operating room nurse.

In 1956, she met her late husband Donald Wald while on a blind date. Cynthia and Donald married on April 5, 1958, in Urbana, Illinois. Shortly thereafter, they relocated to the Monterey Peninsula, where Cynthia worked at the Monterey Hospital (now Hartnell Professional Center) and then Community Hospital. She worked first as a general nurse and later as an oncology specialty nurse, until she retired in 1988.

Cynthia and Donald raised two daughters in a beautiful log cabin home in Pescadero Canyon, Carmel Woods. They purchased it in 1963 and lived there for almost 60 years. The home was filled with evidence of her creativity and handiwork – handmade pottery, a large stained-glass window, embroidery, needle pointing, knitting, sewing projects, and handmade rugs. She also enjoyed gardening and growing orchids and always kept a beautiful blooming yard. The home was her and Donald’s pride and joy and the extended family’s hub where everyone was always welcome.

Cynthia had an avid interest in genealogy. After retirement, she spent several years combing libraries, courthouses and graveyards, during which time she published a family history dating back to the 1600’s. She created an “ancestor wall” in one room of her and Donald’s home, with dozens of framed photographs and biographies of long-ago relatives.

Cynthia and Donald loved traveling. They were members of the Carmel Ski Club and enjoyed exploring Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. They also traveled to Spain, Greece, Morocco, Canada and Mexico. As they got older, they enjoyed visiting their children and grandchildren in northern California and Texas. In her later years, Cynthia found pleasure in antique shopping, reading, gardening, and drives along the beach with her husband and family.

Cynthia was predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Donald Wald. She is survived by two daughters – Tina Wald (Matthew Goeckner) and Kerry Wald-Ziemann (Todd Ziemann), as well as six grandchildren - Kyle, Neil, Kevin, Alex, Claire, and Ella.

The family would like to thank Ivy Park at Monterey and Hospice of the Central Coast for their wonderful care and support during Cynthia’s last years. Our family will celebrate her life in a ceremony at El Carmelo Cemetery at which time she will be interred next to her devoted husband. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Hospice of the Central Coast.