Cynthia Anne Newberry, 54, passed peacefully at home on Friday, February 20, 2015, with her family by her side after a 6month struggle with cancer.
Cynthia was born in San Jose and raised in Ben Lomond. She was the youngest of four children born to Ken and Irene Simpkins. The family moved to Ben Lomond in 1964, where Cynthia attended kindergarten through high school, graduating from San LorenzoValleyHigh School in 1978. That same year, she married her high school sweetheart, Edward Jenness, father of Brianna. She later married Reynaldo Martinez, father of Sarah and Rachael. Cynthia married Victor Newberry on February 14, 1996.
Cynthia was well known as an artist and teacher. Her natural talents surfaced when she was a child. She was self-taught and painted favorite scenes as she toured Ireland and Italy. She painted many portraits and led many class mural projects in local schools. She loved working with children and taught art, sewing and fashion design to children in after-school sessions. Her students won many Blue Ribbons at county fairs.
Cynthia and her very good friend, Linda Wayne, spent two weeks traveling the west coast of Ireland, a place she came to love, and hoped for a return visit with her husband. Cynthia has requested that her ashes be taken to Ireland.
Cynthia is survived by her husband of 19 years, Victor Newberry of Watsonville, parents, Ken and Irene Simpkins of Scotts Valley, sisters, Renette Mocny of Santa Rosa, Renee Simpkins of Aptos, and brother Ken Simpkins, Jr. of Aptos. Her three daughters, Brianna Jenness of Sacramento, Sarah Murphy of Scotts Valley, and Rachael Martinez, student at Cal-Poly, and her three granddaughters, Victoria, Alysia, and Sophia.
