Cynthia M. (Mahard) Hill

Cynthia Mahard Hill died peacefully in Providence, RI on February 12, 2019 after a brief illness. She was 96 years old.  She was born in Barnstable, MA, a daughter of the late Edwin Pratt and Marguerite (Shattuck) Mahard.  Cynthia lived in Natick, Sherborn, Yarmouthport and Brewster, Massachusetts during her adult life. She was predeceased by her husband, John A. Hill Jr., after almost 72 years of marriage.

Cynthia graduated from Natick High School and the Bouvé Boston School of Physical Education and Physical Therapy (now part of Northeastern University). She enlisted in the Army in 1943 becoming a First Lieutenant in the US Army Medical Corps, working as a physical therapist in Bar le Duc, France with the 90th General Hospital. When she returned from the service, she married John Hill and lived in Orono, Maine until he finished his studies at the University of Maine.

In 1948, John and Cynthia returned to Natick with their infant daughter, Penelope. In Natick, John and Cynthia had two more daughters, Christina and Suzanne. Cynthia was active in the Natick Couples Club, enjoyed playing tennis, and was active in two bridge clubs for over 40 years. She also worked for the family business, Natick Oil, and for Coan, Inc. after it purchased Natick Oil. After retiring, she worked at the Sherborn Public Library and at the Pilgrim Church in Sherborn as a volunteer. She and John travelled all over the world.

Cynthia was a loving, supportive mother and grandmother and was always happy to babysit or housesit for grandchildren, cats, and dogs. She had a lifelong love of all animals and delighted in watching all the wildlife that came to her feeders in Sherborn.

Cynthia is survived by two older sisters, Joan Perry  and Martha Hutcheson, three daughters, Penelope Dennehy (Peter) of Barrington, Rhode Island, Christina Maloney (Bill) of Harwich, Massachusetts, Suzanne Leiter (Jay) of Norwich, Vermont and five grandchildren, Johanna Dennehy, Peter Dennehy, Elizabeth Maloney, Suzannah Leiter and Sophie Leiter.

A memorial service is planned for May. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Massachusetts Audubon Society at 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773 or at development@massaudubon.org.

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