Cindy Sue Willett was special from the beginning of her life. She was the fifth child of Virginia Sloane Willett and Samuel Wilson Willett Jr. and was brought home from Brodstone Memorial Hospital to the little house on Central Street in Superior. There, two brothers and two sisters were ready to adore her. Underneath the bassinet, placed VERY CLOSE to the floor furnace, was Brownie, the loyal family mut, ready for his most important job to date - being her watch guard. Cindy Sue grew to be a sturdy, wavy-haired blonde toddler, the apple of her Daddy's eye. During her toddler days she was in demand as a flower girl; one year there were three weddings and the gorgeous dresses she wore cast the die for a love of fashion that lasted her entire life.
She loved kindergarten at North Ward School; she never forgot her teacher, Annabelle Alexander. Cindy shared that as every student learned to count to 100, Mrs. Alexander would walk the entire class to her home for a treat. Cindy loved treats and traveling. After graduating from Superior High School in 1975, Cindy attended K-State University and the University of Nebraska. She was married to Michael Perez of Kansas City, Kansas in 1980 at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Superior, Nebraska. Two daughters were born of this union, Virginia Lee (Gin) Perez in 1981 and Katherine Michelle (Kate) Perez Moffett in 1984. By this time, Cindy was being called CiCi by her young nieces and nephews, and the nickname stuck with her forever. CiCi decided to begin an at home daycare which enabled her to be a constant presence in the home while raising her girls in Kansas City, Kansas. She cheered her girls through dance, gymnastics, years in softball, volleyball, basketball, track, their studies at Catholic school, and welcomed every friend the girls brought home with open arms; she reveled in being their Mama.
When her girls were in college, CiCi served as senior manager for three Curves locations in Kansas City; operating under her sister (in-law), Dana. When the clubs were sold, she worked in direct sales, enjoying every foray into new products she sold far and wide. She had never met a stranger and collected many friends through her work.
CiCi was a walking miracle for the last 6 years of her life. After multiple surgeries and a grim prognosis, she volunteered to be a patient in a research study at The National Institute of Health for treatment of her rare, genetic, incurable renal cell cancer. She expressed thankfulness for this care at every turn. She loved to say that she had NOT "battled cancer", but had "always landed in a very soft place." Her nurse practitioner, Julia Friend, and her physicians at NIH, Dr. Linehan, and Dr. Raum, treated her illness and her spirit. At every chemotherapy treatment, she wore her ocean glass bracelet reminding her of her girls while grasping her olive wood cross for comfort and encouragement. She knew God was carrying her through the tough spots.
You could find CiCi more often than not in an airport - bouncing between D.C and impromptu excursions with her younger brother, Jim, and his family. Over the course of 20 years, CiCi was a visiting nanny to Jim and Dana, helping raise their boys Sam and Ben, forming a very special bond with them from birth through college. Jim was determined to tackle CiCi's bucket list, which included Hawaii, Italy, New York, Chicago, Breckenridge, and San Diego - always with family in tow.
Her grandsons, Cindrich Lee Perez, 3 1/2 years, and Anthony James Moffett, 10 months, were born during these miracle years. Her greatest loss at the end was taking leave of her beautiful grandsons. In their Sugar's absence, her Lovey (Cindrich) now asks why he cannot go visit her with the angels and her Pumpkin (Anthony), newly mobile, attempts to seek her out at his every turn.
In her final months, CiCi was cared for in the home she shared with daughter Kate and son (in-law) Brian, with Gin basically moving in so that "The Perez Girls" could all be together. CiCi was always enormously appreciative of Brian's open-armed generosity, and she fiercely loved "Uncle Taco." Brian was a quiet, but consistent, loving force in CiCi's life, unselfishly supporting her with home and hearth. Another constant fixture in the home was CiCi's long-time best friend, Linda Noren Sunquist, who was the most loyal of friends, coming to sit with CiCi every evening in the last month of her life. As Gin and Kate tended to their Mama through the final stages of life, managing her needs with jobs and young children, they were sure to never leave her alone, and Gin crawled into bed with her every night, soothing her when the pain was insurmountable. They bathed her and fed her, sorted medications and facilitated all appointments. Always with smiles, wisecracks, hand-holding, kisses, and many, many tears.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Sam & Virginia Willett, brothers Richard Lee and Donald Eugene, and sister Pennie Elaine Timberlake. Survivors include her daughters, grandsons, son (in-law), Brian Moffett, all of Overland Park, KS; brother, James Earl Willett and wife Dana of Longmont, CO; sister, Mitzie Marlene Willett of Superior, NE; sister (in-law), Ann Ridle Willett of Superior, NE, numerous nieces, nephews, "greats," extended family, and friends. CiCi will live on - laughing in the stars and smiling in the hearts of all who loved her.
Memorial Services: Saturday, October 20, 2018, at 11:00 am at Megrue-Price Funeral Home in Superior, Nebraska.
Graveside service: will follow at Beulah Cemetery, near Mt. Clare, Nebraska.
Memorials: Memorials may be made in care of Katherine Moffett, 12904 Grant Street Overland Park, Kansas 66213 to be utilized for college funds for Cindy's grandsons, the maintenance of Beulah Cemetery, and if possible, to The National Institute of Health in her name.
Condolences: may be sent to Megrue-Price Funeral Home, 750 N. Commercial Superior, Nebraska 68978.