Cynthia Foster

Cynthia Ann Foster, age 73, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, died Friday, February 12, 2021, at her home, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions in honor of Cynthia be made to the Iowa Women’s Foundation, 2201 East Grantview Drive, Suite 200 Coralville, IA 52241 or online at https://iawf.org/donate-now/. Cynthia was born on April 5, 1947, in Austin, Texas to Helen (Gould) and George Tannehill. Cynthia was a proud Texan, is there any other kind? No matter where life’s adventures took her, a piece of her heart was always in Texas with her siblings. The oldest of five, she was a caring confidant believer in justice, amazing bundle of energy, had a depth of love that could be felt, but never described, the queen bee of the kitchen, always had her siblings backs, and was known to say, “whatcha gonna do kid?” when giving advice. In her own words: forty-eight years ago, Joe Foster put his boat in the Rio Grande River at Boquillas Canyon. His soon-to-be wife, Cynthia put her raft in at the same time on the same trip down the river. He decided mid-way through the trip to get in her raft and tell her how to paddle. As they say, the rest is history and the pair paddled down many rivers together in their lifetime. They married on December 8, 1973. This love story took them on life adventures to Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, California, Arizona, and finally Iowa. Cynthia was a force of nature with every job she took on, she gave her heart and soul, sharing her knowledge with others along the way. Her career as a teacher allowed her to make a profound impact on students throughout the years. Teaching wasn’t what she did; it was part of the very fiber of her being. While Cynthia was always a lover of the arts, through teaching she found her passion for theater and added costume design as another, one of a kind art to her repertoire. Retirement didn’t stop her from teaching as she helped others learn how to create art quilts and fuse glass along with set design. Cynthia was a firecracker full of spiciness and some might even say stubborn. She led with her heart and was fearless when it came to causes she championed. A huge lover of the arts she supported theater, dance, and music. Cynthia was an exceptional artist dabbling in many mediums, which included intricate art quilts and beautiful glass fused jewelry. Cynthia was an adventure seeker traveling the country exploring state and national parks with her kids and grandkids. She was known for throwing epic dinner parties and if you didn’t have a place for Thanksgiving you were always welcome at her table. Her greatest joy was having her house filled with loved ones and her final week was just that. Cynthia was preceded in death by her father and mother. She is survived by her husband, Joe; her two sons, Bryce Foster and Charles (Sarah) Foster, daughter, Donna Petersen, grandchildren, Effie, Hudson, Bailey, Cammy, Tori, Mia, and Joey, her siblings George Tannehill, Mike (Carolyn) Tannehill, Frank Tannehill, and Lucia (Jeff) Kelley; sister-in-law Neel (Don) Stuber; and nieces and nephews.