Cindy my Colleague (by Mamie Giller, 1st Grade Teacher, Hillside Elementary School)

This eulogy by Mamie Giller is the fifth of seven messages offered at Cindy's funeral on April 12.  Mamie represents a significant love in Cindy's life - her work as a paraeducator at Hillside Elementary School with teachers like Mamie, students and administrative staff. For more about Cindy's career, click on the obituary link at the end of Mamie's beautiful message.

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Hello, My name is Mamie Giller.  I am a first grade teacher at Hillside Elementary and I worked very closely with Cindy.   I am privileged and feel honored to speaking with you today. 

Over the years, Cindy has touched the lives of many people in Farmington Public Schools in so many ways.  During her years, she left imprints at Beechview, Longacre, Alameda, and especially Hillside Elementary where she has worked as our amazing office clerk and wonderful literacy para-educator for the past 14 years.  Cindy had many talents and gifts that she offered us each and every single day!

Her talents were so natural.  These talents are what made her unique and special.   You see, talent is set apart from knowledge in that it is not a learned behavior, it is a gift from God.  The Bible tells us that we are all born with distinct talents and gifts that set us apart from each other.  When you discover the talents that God has given you and you use them to glorify Him, you will experience a full life and Cindy did just this. 

1 Peter 4:10 says, As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

 Ephesians 2:10 tells us - For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   

Through her work at Hillside, Cindy did indeed fulfill God’s plan for her life.  She was a spiritual example for us all and we are forever grateful that we are the recipients of this work of God. 

The following are memories that have been shared by her beloved  colleagues that display her talents and gifts:

●     Many teachers have made comments that Cindy was the first friendly face that they see each morning.  She would always smile and acknowledge us, even when she was wearing her headset while taking attendance.  We all think Rob put her desk there so we could start out our day with her beautiful smile!

●     Cindy had such as gentle way of making those morning and afternoon phone calls to remind us that we’d forgotten to take attendance.  She had to be annoyed but you would never know because she was always so upbeat and would give a chuckle after hearing all of our lame excuses.

●      Cindy was a task master and was always appreciated by her office partners (also known as the 3 musketeers) which included organizing the August back to school packets and assembling the dreadful annual phone directory from central office- which only Cindy had that spatial relation skills to do!

●     Cindy fixed all the books in the “book hospital”  and the kids and teachers would anxiously wait for her to complete this task.

●     She proudly wore her MSU and Tigers gear on our casual Fridays.

The following are memories that students have shared about Mrs. Trevisan:

●     She taught me how to make 3D shapes

●     She read Stone Soup with us and now I love fables because they like are lessons learned in fake stories

●     I loved hearing about her “grand-hedgehog

●     She told funny jokes

●     She helped me learn vowels, consonants, and clapped out syllables

●     She always showed me where the papers go when I was the “office messenger”

●     She told me I was a good reader

●     She would always say “Good morning handsome Payne brothers!”

●     She was nice, sweet, funny and I loved, loved, loved reading with her!

Cindy had a humble and kind heart - she will be missed dearly.  There is only one word to describe her legacy at Hillside and that is her famous word… AWESOMESAUCE! 

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For more in Cindy's career, click on: Cindy's Obituary