08/07/2025
Cynthia Ann (Lindahl) McHale 89, passed away peacefully on Thursday July 24, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.
Cynthia was born in Hopedale, Massachusetts on June 14, 1936, to her mother Esther (Bemis) Lindahl and father Carl Lindahl, a carpenter and son of Swedish immigrants. She had three sisters: Jean, Meredith, and Dawn.
Cynthia married Jim Savino in 1955 and had three children: Kip, Jeff, and Laura.
In 1970 the family relocated to Connecticut, where Cynthia worked as an administrative assistant at Goodwill Industries, and then a technical writer for Perkin Elmer Corporation.
In 1983 Cynthia married Navy veteran Joe McHale. They moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, and spent summers exploring, first in their boat on the intercoastal waterway, and then by RV, visiting friends and family and camping at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
For 25 years, Cynthia drove a school bus on the Marsh Oaks and Bayshore routes, often driving the children of her passengers from years before. Wherever she went in Wilmington, people would recognize "Mrs. McHale" and stop to say hi. She loved to sew and made Victorian Christmas tree skirts for a local shop. She valued her church family at the Lutheran Church of Reconciliation where she served as secretary.
When she was widowed in 2011, she promised herself that she would squeeze every bit of joy out of life. She and her lifelong friends were always on the lookout for new experiences. She travelled frequently with friends and family, both domestically and internationally, with destinations like Texas, Florida, Oregon, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland.
Cynthia especially loved her travels in Germany. She often traveled with her daughter Laura, and loved to visit Roxbury, Connecticut where she was treated to the cooking and bartending skills of Laura's partner, Carter.
Cynthia lost her house in Hurricane Florence, and was rescued by firefighters, wading through floodwaters with her loyal beagle, Dolly.
After a cancer diagnosis in May of 2025, she moved to Michigan to spend her last summer at a lake cottage she always loved, living with her son Jeffrey and his wife Kelly. Over the next two months, with visits from her daughter Laura, grandkids, and friends, and with the invaluable help of hospice, she made her own decisions and final preparations. Her view included sunrises over the lake and myriad birds at her feeder. She enjoyed cooking shows, good food, and watching her beloved Boston Red Sox. (Several years ago, when she met New York Yankees legend Aaron Judge, she made it a point to let him know where her baseball loyalties lay.)
Cynthia was preceded in death by her first husband James Savino, her second husband Joseph McHale, and her eldest son Kip. She is survived by her sister Meredith Gould (Florida), her son Jeff Savino, (Kelly) in Ohio, and daughter Laura (Savino) Csizmadia (Connecticut). She leaves behind four grandchildren; Anthony Csizmadia, Tyler, Connor, and Molly Savino.
Friends will remember Cynthia for her candid laugh and mischievous sense of humor. When asked how she would like to be remembered, her answer was, "in funny stories".
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of Lenawee County, or your local Hospice.