Cynthia Rose Livingston

LIVINGSTON, Cynthia Rose (Hoffman) Cynthia Rose Hoffman Livingston died peacefully, at her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the evening of September 5, 2023. She was 82 years old and had recently started treatment for cervical cancer. Her family appreciates the care she received from her medical teams at Tufts and Mass General Hospital. Born in Stamford, Connecticut on December 20, 1940 to Harold and Hyacinthe (nee Kaufman) Hoffman, Cynthia attended Stamford High School, Wellesley College and graduate school at Yale University. She met her future husband, Peter Livingston, when she was a sophomore at Wellesley College and he was attending Yale Medical School. They secretly married in New Hampshire before having a formal wedding in June 1961. At that time, Wellesley required Cynthia to live off campus as a married student, and she would drive to see Peter on weekends in his VW bug. After graduating from Wellesley in 1962, she moved to New Haven to study American History at Yale, where she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching in 1963. After they moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cynthia taught history and English at the Palfrey Street School and The Cambridge School of Weston. Their first child, Oliver, was born in 1966, while Peter was a medical resident at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. Drafted into the U.S. Army, Peter was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam in 1968. He had provided psychiatric care to soldiers at Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh and is the only psychiatrist known to have died in the war. In 1971, Cynthia married Donald Bacon, who taught English and American Literature at Harvard University. Donald adopted Oliver and the couple had two sons, Nathaniel and Ethan, before divorcing. Cynthia continued to teach during this time and was regarded as an outstanding and compassionate teacher at The Cambridge School. After retiring, she taught in Massachusetts state prisons to help inmates receive their GEDs. A lifelong learner and scholar, she later received a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Harvard University Extension Studies. Cynthia was actively involved in supporting non-profit organizations throughout her life, contributing her energy or serving on the boards of Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, The Mountain School, Emmanuel Music and Cambridge Hospital. Cynthia married Dr. Richard Shader, a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology at Tufts University in 2003. They enjoyed 20 years of marriage together, including shared loves of music, literature, jigsaw puzzles and world travel. Cynthia and Richard were benefactors and devotees of Boston-area classical music and often hosted traveling professional performers at their home. Cynthia was an avid reader throughout her life. A coterie of family members and friends looked forward to her suggestions as to the next book to read or a writer to explore. One of Cynthia's greatest pleasures was time spent with her grandchildren, Sonia, Ellis, Zeke, Camille, Jonah, Abe and Pete. She often traveled to see them, providing abundant cheerleading, encouragement and quirky, amusing gifts. She remained a joyous and active presence in their lives until her final day. Cynthia is survived by her husband, Richard Shader of Cambridge; and his extended family, her eldest son, Oliver Bacon, his husband, Greg Barnell; and their son, Peter Livingston Barnell of Oakland, California; her son, Nathaniel Bacon, his wife, Jeri Wohlberg; and their sons, Zeke, Jonah and Abe Wohlberg of Craftsbury, Vermont; her son, Ethan Bernau, his wife, Erin Bernau; and their children, Ellis and Camille Bernau of Seattle, Washington; and her stepdaughter, Nadia Bacon of Salzburg, Austria; and Nadia's daughter, Sonia McGaffigan of Rochester, New York. She is also survived by brothers, Stephen, Jonathan and Peter Hoffman; and their families, and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews. She leaves behind numerous friends in the Boston area and all over the globe. Gifts in her memory may be made to Winsor Music, which provides music outreach and education in the Boston community. A Memorial Service is planned for later this fall.

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