Cindy (Miller / Scherzer) Spaulding

With hearts full of love and deep gratitude, we celebrate the remarkable life of Cindy Spaulding, who passed peacefully on May 25, 2025, at the age of 64, surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous three-year battle with stage 4 lung cancer. Her strength, grace, and unshakable faith carried her—and all of us—through that journey.

Doctors gave her a timeline, but Cindy lived on her own terms—gracing us with more time, more laughter, and more love than anyone could have hoped for. She met her diagnosis with the same fierce resolve she brought to every part of her life—defying expectations and embracing each extra day as a blessing to be shared with those she loved most. Her light continues to shine in the lives she touched.

Cindy was born on February 2, 1961, in Toledo, Ohio, to Russell and Thelma Miller (Werr). She grew up with a spirit of compassion, resilience, and fierce love—qualities that defined her every step.

She was the beloved wife of Dan Spaulding, whose devotion and care through life’s highs and lows were a true testament to love. Cindy was the cherished mother of Ashley (Scherzer) Roytek and mother-in-law to Jeff Roytek. Her children were her world—and her grandchildren even more so. She beamed with pride for Tyler Roytek (Hannah Iott), Maria Roytek, Jade Gineman, Eliot, Leo, and Camille Jackson, and she was overjoyed to know that her first great-granddaughter, Viviana Grace Roytek, is soon to arrive.

Cindy was preceded in death by her father, Russell Miller; her late husband, Joseph Scherzer; and her beloved bonus daughter, Stephanie (Dan) Jackson, who bravely fought glioblastoma alongside Cindy’s own battle—each leaning on the other in faith and love. She is also reunited with many other loving family members and friends whose memories she carried closely in her heart.

She is survived by her incredible mother, Thelma Miller (Werr); devoted sisters Denise (Dave) Girrell and Sandra Benlein (Stefan Kondelka); mother- and father-in-law Dawn and Tom Landry; sister-in-law Nadine (Jeff); nieces and nephews Carrie (Casey) Wray, Teri Tucker (Rey Boxley), David Girrell, Jacob (Miller) Brick, and April Benlein; her fur baby Jackson; and a large extended family of great-nieces and nephews, cousins, neighbors, dear friends, and the Roytek family—including her son-in-law Jeff’s parents, Rainia and Jeff Roytek; his sisters, Rachel (Mike) Burton and Amy (Mark) Powell; and their children.

Cindy’s life was shaped by her incredible strength. She became a widow at just 27 years old, raising her daughter Ashley with tenacity and tenderness as a single mother. She worked tirelessly—often juggling several roles at once—to provide for her family, never hesitating to do what was needed. Her love was fierce and unwavering—steady as a rock and comforting as a warm embrace.

After becoming a widow, Cindy returned to school and earned her bachelor’s degree from Lourdes University—an incredible accomplishment she pursued with quiet determination. She went on to own and operate a small business, as well as hold a multitude of other jobs over the years. Her dedication, perseverance, and willingness to show up day after day spoke volumes about the kind of woman she was.

Her passion for natural health and wellness became a calling. She shared her knowledge freely and compassionately, helping countless people learn to listen to their bodies and seek nature’s healing remedies. She was also deeply creative—gifted in cake decorating, interior design, poetry, and photography. She loved traveling and was especially fond of weekend trips up north to Traverse City, casino tours, visiting national parks around the country, and attending the hot air balloon fiesta in New Mexico. But some of her most cherished times were family get-togethers of all kinds.

Cindy lived her life grounded in faith, purpose, and service. Her laughter, kindness, and heartfelt prayers were a balm to all who knew her. Even in the hardest times, her hope never wavered. She reminded us that joy can be found in the simplest moments—and that love is the most powerful force we have.

A celebration of Cindy’s life will be held Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Newcomer Northwest Toledo, 4150 W. Laskey Rd., Toledo, OH, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 4:00 p.m. All are welcome to join in honoring a woman who lived and loved with extraordinary courage, faith, and grace.

Because Cindy loved nature so much, the family welcomes flowers and live plants to be sent to the funeral home, or donations made in her name to your favorite organization.

Special thanks to Hospice of Northwest Ohio for their compassionate and loving care, making her transition peaceful.

We will miss her every day—but her legacy lives on in every life she touched, every heart she lifted, and every act of love she inspired. Until we meet again, we will carry Cindy in our hearts always—her laughter, her kindness, and her unshakable faith reminding us that love never ends.