CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Beloved daughter, sister and friend, Cynthia Jeanne Pernice, 55, of Carrabassett Valley, passed away March 6, 2023 following a long illness.

Cynthia was born in San Antonio, Texas on Oct. 28, 1967 to Charles Pernice of Damariscotta and Jeanne Pernice of Carrabassett Valley. She was predeceased by her mother who passed just three months earlier.

She is survived by her father, Charles Pernice; and her two sisters–older-sister, Anne Marie Pernice and her husband Greg Dykes and niece Marina, of St. Paul, Minn., and younger-sister, Jeanne Madden and her husband Chris Madden and nieces Isabelle and Katie of Falmouth. Cynthia will be especially missed by her nieces with whom she enjoyed many wonderful times. Cynthia is also survived by her very large and supportive family of friends.

Cynthia grew up with her parents and sisters in Winslow. She enjoyed every season at the family’s sporting camp, Big Lyford Pond Camps, where she spent her summers swimming and hiking and winters snowmobiling and skating on the lake.

She studied political science at Keene State College, New Hampshire, and earned a master’s degree in public policy management from the University of Maine. Much of her professional career was spent in healthcare administration. Cynthia dedicated years to the National Association for State Health Policy, where she did work with the Children’s Health Insurance Program and later joined MaineHealth, where she improved quality and outcomes for heart attack patients as a program manager in Clinical Integration. Cynthia was much loved by her colleagues and respected for always asking the difficult questions and challenging the status quo. While her professional career contributions were impressive, what mattered most to Cynthia were her family and friends.

Cynthia had a very active life. She traveled extensively and spent a semester abroad in France where she had the opportunity to ski in the Alps. She enjoyed skiing with her mother and friends at Sugarloaf where she also assisted with the Adaptive Skiing program. In 2010, she became the first female president of the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association. In the summer months, Cynthia loved biking and swimming and even challenged herself to participate in both the Trek Across Maine and Tri for a Cure.

In 2013, Cynthia was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. She continued working professionally while undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and a stem-cell transplant. When told she was lymphoma free in 2022, she also received the devastating news that the aggressive treatments used to treat her cancer had contributed to heart failure and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).

With the COVID lockdown, Cynthia left her job, sold her beloved home in Portland and moved to Carrabassett Valley to be with her fellow immunocompromised family member, her mother, Jeanne. The two cared for each other at their much loved condominium at Sugarloaf for the final three years of their lives.

Throughout her years of treatment, Cynthia maintained her sharp wit, sense of humor and humility. She oriented her life toward friends and family. She maintained deep, enduring friendships and delighted in connecting her various friends to each other. In her final weeks, Cynthia carefully planned activities around the ups-and-downs of her energy levels. At Gosnell Memorial Hospice House she hosted a great many friends, continuing to expand the web of enduring friendships that is part of her legacy.

Cynthia built a respectful and caring relationship with her oncologist, Dr. Christian Thomas, and with the excellent care teams of New England Cancer Specialists in Portland. She was ever thankful for the care and grace in which they provided treatment to her as a fellow human. Additionally, she was grateful to her team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston–Dr. Philippe Armand and Dr. Marlise Luskin.

Cynthia’s family would like to give special thanks to her hospice care team, her family of friends, Hospice of Southern Maine, and the care providers at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House. Without exception, everyone showed deep care and respect to her and her family throughout the long and difficult cancer journey.

In lieu of flowers, Cynthia wished for donations to be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) at https://givenow.lls.org. Cynthia was fortunate to receive financial support from LLS and was invited to review research funding proposals for them. Any gifts to LLS will help make that possible for other patients. Additionally, Cynthia would have wanted to encourage any that are able to donate blood to the American Red Cross. The Red Cross provides needed blood products to help those in similar situations.

Cynthia and her mother, Jeanne, enjoyed a vibrant web of conjoined friends. On Dec. 15, 2022, Jeanne passed away, followed not long after by Cynthia on March 6, 2023. A Celebration of Life will be held for both Cynthia Pernice and her mother, Jeanne Pernice, on Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Competition Center at Sugarloaf. Contact Jeannie Madden at [email protected] for more information.