After flying through a long and adventurous life, Cynthia (Cindy) Black Massey passed away on Tuesday morning, January 24, 2017, following a fierce, brief bout with ovarian cancer.
Cindy was a +20-year resident of Missoula and Hamilton, Montana, and a current resident of Battle Mountain, Nevada, where her husband, John Gant Massey, works for the BLM.
Cindy was born on March 5, 1957 in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and as an Army brat was raised in California, Germany and Ohio. Cindy graduated in 1994 with a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and worked until her passing in R&D on Internet database security for Ellucian, a worldwide developer of higher education software.
Cindy was an avid hang glider pilot, softball player, whitewater rafter and outdoors enthusiast. In 1992, on her first backpacking trip ever, she thru-hiked the Appalachian Train, walking from Georgia to Maine with her husband, Gant, with whom she remained married for +27 years.
In addition to Gant, she also is survived by her mother, Louise Vinson Black of Gulfport, Mississippi, her two brothers, George Glen (Buck) Black, also of Gulfport, and Robert Lee (Bob) Black of Jefferson City, Missouri, plus multiple, beloved nieces and nephews.
She was proceeded in death by her father, Gordon Charles Black (Col., Army Medical Corps).
In addition to her other virtues, Cindy had a soft heart for small, helpless, furry animals; a donation in her memory to the Humane Society, SPCA or a local animal shelter therefore is requested in lieu of cards or flowers.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 PM on February 17, 2017, at the United Methodist Church, Battle Mountain.
