Cynthia Mary Kuter

Mrs. Cynthia Mary (Joyner) Kuter of Valdosta, Georgia and formerly of Passaic, New Jersey, passed away at The United Hospice Center of Lakehaven Nursing Home, October 10, 2006.

Cynthia was born September 4, 1926 in Madras, India, to the late Richard Sidney and Violet Maud (Gilmour) Joyner. She was baptized in Christ Church, Madras. The family later moved to Bangalore, India where she attended Bishop Cotton Girls School. During World War II, at the age of seventeen, she enlisted, in the British Woman's Auxiliary Corps (India) where she served as a Lance Corporal in the Signal Corps. It was during that time that she met and fell in love with the late Ference J. Kuter of Passaic, N.J., serving with the United States Army Air Corps as a member of Project 19 in Eritrea, Africa and later, Bangalore, India. They were united in holy matrimony in St Marks Church on December 7, 1944. L/Cpl Cynthia Kuter was discharged from military service on July 11, 1945. The couple resided at 31 Kumara Park, High Ground. On January 24, 1946 they were blessed with their first son Richard William. With WW II over, Cynthia said good bye to her family and embarked on her voyage to start a new life in America with her husband and son. Pregnant with a second child, and knowing there were no medical personnel aboard, she boarded a freighter, the M/S Hoegh Silverlight, at the port of Cochin, and departed India in November 1946. After many port of calls and storms at sea along the way, they finally arrived in Boston, MA on December 11, 1946 and made their way to New York, NY and then on to Passaic, NJ, where they would call home for the next 33 years. Robert Lee was born shortly after on July 6, 1947. Cynthia was proud to be a homemaker, loving wife and devoted mother. In 1979, with both sons married and raising their own families, Cynthia and Ference moved to Valdosta, GA and set up their new home. Ference passed away May 30, 1987, leaving Cynthia to emerge as a strong, independent woman in the community. She was an active member of the Calvary Baptist Church where she worshipped and taught Sunday school, and served as a cherished volunteer with the Mail Box Club of Valdosta where she brought the word of Jesus to children around the world. She was an activist in bringing Alzheimers Disease to the forefront, engaging local and government officials to recognize both the afflicted and the caregivers of this horrible disease. Cynthia was also a three time cancer survivor. As a senior citizen she took part in many of the local and statewide events, and was chosen to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Ashton-Meadows Senior Housing Community in Valdosta where she resided.

Survivors include her two sons Richard Kuter of Valdosta, GA and Robert Kuter of Bellville, NJ, daughter in law Rosemarie (Oliveri) Kuter of Valdosta, GA, granddaughters Karen (Kuter) Hough of Tampa, FL, Dr. Wendy (Kuter) Dorminey of Lake Park, GA, Jennifer Kuter and Rebecca Kuter both of Clifton, NJ, grandson in laws Col. Paul Hough of Tampa, FL and Dusty Dorminey of Lake Park, GA, great granddaughters Paula Hough of Tampa, FL and Cassidy Kuter of Clifton, NJ. In addition, she leaves three sisters Violet Grace Joyner of Sceptre, Saskatchewan, Canada, Edith M. Hutton, of SevenOaks, Kent, England and Elizabeth H. Cookson of Valdosta, GA. One brother Richard S. Joyner of Camberley, Surrey, England, one brother in law Dr. John M. Cookson of Valdosta, Ga and one sister in law, Margaret (Tregoning) Joyner of Camberley, Surrey, England, and numerous nephews, a niece and great nephews.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, October 16, 2006 in the chapel of the Carson McLane Funeral home with Reverend Robert Sias officiating. Burial will follow at McLane Riverview Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends on Monday from 12:30 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. Condolences to the family may be conveyed on the obituary page at www.mclanefuneralservices.com. Carson McLane Funeral Home


Funeral Home:
Carson McLane Funeral Home
2215 North Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA
US 31602