Cindy was more than a co-worker -- she was a friend, and so much fun! From our work group Halloween costumes to the surprise baby shower she hosted for me, and all of those "girls night out" margaritas at Applebee's with Jan and Bardie, Cindy always had the widest smile, the loudest laugh, and a big giant heart. I will miss her, as will anyone who was fortunate to know her. Love to her family, who will miss her the most💙

So CHEERS to you, my dear. I'll always cherish our horseback rides together, our margaritas by the pool at your house on the hill, our bicycle rides, worries over puppies not thriving or dog behavior problems and debates about which vets were best. Those memorable dogsled trips and so much fun and laughter, visiting back & forth and “misbehaving” that we could have filled a couple of books and a pretty crazy movie. There will never be another steadfast friend like you, we had each other's backs, and I will miss your sunny smile for the rest of my life.






Bonnie Oakley

Cindy was a dear, close, and treasured friend of mine for many years. We met at Janice Charbonneau's evening aerobics class in Suncrest sometime in 1986. Jodi was there as well so we found common ground with my son & daughter being slightly older than Jodi & Jason. Our conversations about schools and child raising were the initial basis for our friendship though we discovered a mutual interest in and were soon talking about our dogs – her Malamutes and my Siberian Huskies – and dogsledding. It wasn't long before we were scouting out snow-packed, unused forest service roads near Priest River or on Mt Spokane where we could set our teams down on and get a good run over each winter. Our mutual interests also blossomed into obedience training, competitions, and exhibiting at dog shows across the state.



Even though I moved away from Washington state in 1992, Cindy and I maintained our friendship through frequent telephone calls and sending cards back and forth, with the occasional in-person visit. One of her trips to visit me in South Dakota was the October following 9/11 to cheer me up in my recovery from cancer surgery and treatment. We were astounded to discover military people throughout the airport with the concourses closed to greeting passengers as they came off the plane. How Life changes!



Although our telephone calls became less frequent as Cindy began to have memory lapses, I still treasure one of the last cards she sent me which really summed up our sometimes madcap friendship. It was a quote from Oscar Wilde which read: “I don't say we ought to misbehave, but we should look as though we could.”



So CHEERS to you, my dear. I'll always cherish our horseback rides together, our margaritas by the pool at your house on the hill, our bicycle rides, worries over puppies not thriving or dog behavior problems and debates about which vets were best. Those memorable dogsled trips and so much fun and laughter, visiting back & forth and “misbehaving” that we coul

OBITUARY

Cindy Lou Johnson

October 1, 1951 – August 29, 2025

Ball & Dodd Funeral Home

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services