Cynthia "Cindy" Fordiani Hughes
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Cindy was born Cynthia Joyce Fordiani on March 23, 1944 at Meriden Hospital and she remained a lifelong Meriden resident until her passing on June 24, 2020 at the age of 76. She was a 1962 graduate of O.H. Platt High School and was a proud Panther throughout her life! She went on to become a Registered Nurse following graduation from St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing. She later received her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work at Southern Connecticut State University and her Master's Degree in Social Work from the Graduate School of Social Services at Fordham University. She spent many years of her professional career as a Psychiatric Social Worker at WWII Veterans Memorial Hospital and closed out her career working for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health Services, retiring in April of 2019.
Cindy was a lifelong parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Meriden, where she was involved in the church community through the Mt. Carmel Society and by serving on the Mt. Carmel School Board. She was a proud member of the Red Hatters, had a love for beaches and lighthouses, and enjoyed traveling all over the world by plane or on ship; most proudly to Italy on several occasions. Those active in her extraordinarily busy social life know that she is an avid fan of "U-C-O-N-N UCONN UCONN UCONN" Men's and Women's Basketball, she refused to be seated in any restaurant that didn't serve a good (or bad) red wine and that she loved nothing more than having her family over to the house for Passatelli Soup and the most amazing homemade Stuffed Shells anyone has ever experienced.
Cynthia is survived by her daughter, Kristine Burke, her son & daughter-in-law, Mark & Rena Hughes, her son and his girlfriend, Scott Hughes & Kim Randall, the father of her children, Ronald Hughes and the light of Nonna's life, her only granddaughter, Autumn Burke. She is also survived by her brother, Alfred L. Fordiani, Jr. and her sister, Anita Preer. She is predeceased by her brother Richard Fordiani.
Cindy will receive her blessing in a private ceremony with her immediate family. The family will be offering a mass in her honor and one of Cindy's biggest requests was that friends and family gather to "Live, Love, & Laugh" in her memory, so a Celebration of Life will be announced on a future date. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family asks that donations be made in Cindy's memory to the Meriden Humane Society, 311 Murdock Ave. and/or Girls, Inc. 130 Lincoln St. both in Meriden, CT 06450. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Smith-Ruzzo Funeral Home, 450 Broad St., Meriden. To send an online expression of sympathy please visit www.smithruzzofuneralhome.com.