Cindy Maureen Littlefair died on April 15 surrounded by her family and friends at the Halifax Hospice in Halifax, NS. She leaves behind her four children, Paige (Mark Jennings), Sam (Claire Zimmerman), Allister (Ivnoor Shergill) and Grace. She was the joyful grandmother of Ellis, Norah, and Hilda, precious sister to Sue Harvey and auntie to a niece and nephew. Her dog Luc was her faithful companion for 12 years, and she leaves a legion of friends. Cindy was born in 1959 in Peterborough, Ontario to Shirley Littlefair (née Ashby) and Thomas Littlefair, the youngest of six children. It was a loving family with more than its fair share of tragedy, and by the time Cindy was 12, four of her siblings had died. Her desire to make sense of these events led her to study Buddhism, and she continued on that path all of her days, inspired by the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa and Ösel Tendzin as well as the many teachers she met along the way. Cindy worked until the last six months of her life, enjoying the engagement and dynamics of a busy work life. For the last 18 years she worked for Lion’s Roar magazine (formerly Shambhala Sun) and was well-known as the coordinator of the yearly online auction which began many new friendships worldwide. Before this she worked for ACTRA and the CBC. For more than 30 years, Cindy was a columnist and blogger, sharing insights on life, community, and family. In 2022, she received her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction at the University of King’s College, developing a memoir, Deadfall. She published in Lion’s Roar, the New York Times, and her newsletter Fleeting in Substack was widely read. Civil engagement was an important tenet of Cindy’s life. She was a member of the Halifax Regional School Board from 2012 until its disbandment in 2018, and always up for a meeting of local politicians or activists. She was a strong believer in honouring the Canadians who served in war and always attended Remembrance Day ceremonies. Cindy was a passionate reader, loving the classics—anything by Dickens or Tolstoy, and in recent years devoured hundreds of memoirs. She was a maniac thrifter, a habit she has schooled her children in, and a lover of polka dots. She frequented the Y, calling it “my favourite place of worship.” She was always up for learning something new, her most recent venture being the art of silk-screening, inspired by her collection of street posters. Music and in particular supporting local artists was also a large part of Cindy’s life. Friday nights would find her sharing a meal and many stories of the week with her pals, and Saturday morning meant a walk with Luc to Point Pleasant Park with friends, followed by a trip to the Brewery Market. Cindy loved life in all its manifestations, and her thrifty nature caused her to see it as something that should be properly used up so that nothing was left at the end. Her greatest work was her family, and it is there her friends could see how her ferocious intelligence and big heart worked to great effect. All of her children are wonderfully positioned to live their own lives with heart and intelligence in abundance. They are all kind, funny and creative. And know how to stretch a buck and make a fantastic pot roast. Cindy’s family and friends are very appreciative of the loving care given by all staff at the Halifax Hospice. Her body is resting at the Shambhala Centre, 1084 Tower Rd., Halifax. A funeral Ceremony of Sukhavati will be held there on Friday, April 18th at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers please donate to AfterWords Literary Festival, afterwordsliteraryfestival.com.