Cynthia Nixon Bouker passed away peacefully on July 12th in Jacksonville, Florida, surrounded by her family. She was 78 years old.

Cynthia was born in 1946, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to the late Grace Margaret Nixon and William George Nixon. She grew up in Jersey City and later at the shore, in Middletown, New Jersey, where she graduated from Middletown High School in 1963. She graduated from Susquehanna University in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and afterwards married her former husband, Jon S. Bouker, Sr., in 1968.

Upon graduating from college, Cynthia worked as a social worker and later welcomed her two children, Jon S. Bouker, Jr. (in 1970), and Christian William Bouker (in 1973). Jon and Christian remember their mother as a fiercely loving but no-nonsense parent, who taught them always to be kind to others, to know right from wrong and to pursue their dreams, because nothing was beyond their reach. After her children were grown, Cynthia went back to work as an administrator for a cancer center in Virginia and Maryland, where she delighted in helping her patients. She was a supporter of many causes, including the fight against cancer, funding for the arts and, particularly, women’s rights.

Cynthia, above all, loved her family, but she also loved to be near the ocean, and to enjoy the company of her family and friends. In her retirement, she moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida, where she embarked on many adventures with her dear friends Susie and Andrew Clark and their daughter Riley Clark. Cynthia was an intrepid international traveler, an excellent cook, a skilled seamstress and a voracious reader. She loved a good party and was quick to laugh, particularly while entertaining (or being entertained by) her children, grandchildren and many friends.

Cynthia is predeceased by her parents Grace Margaret Nixon and William George Nixon. She leaves behind her adoring family: her sister, Penny Virginia Nixon; her sons, Jon S. Bouker, Jr. (and his wife, Kerrie Briggs Bouker) and Christian William Bouker (and his wife, Andrea Henry Bouker); her grandchildren, Katherine Anderson Bouker, Jon S. Bouker III and Spencer Henry Moore and her great-granddaughter, Rosalie Sophia Moore.

A celebration of Cynthia’s life will be held in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, on a date to be announced. Prior to the celebration, Cynthia’s ashes will be returned to her beloved Atlantic Ocean.

In lieu of flowers, and in honor of Cynthia’s dedication to her cancer patients, please consider a donation to the cancer charity of your choice.