Cindy Gaherty Sanders

1953 - 2021

The family of Cindy Gaherty is heartbroken to announce her death. She passed away on March 3, 2021 after a yearlong battle with cancer. She was loved by so many people and she returned that love and affection to everyone who was fortunate enough to be blessed by her presence.

Cindy was born on May 20, 1953 to Elizabeth (Betty) and William (Bill) Gaherty of Dalton, MA. She attended Dalton schools and graduated from Wahconah Regional High School in the Class of 1971.

After graduation, she began working for the Berkshire Eagle. She finished an apprenticeship there working as a proofreader in the composing department. On a vacation to visit friends in Arizona, she fell in love with the Phoenix area and especially enjoyed its warm climate. She eventually left The Eagle and moved to the Phoenix suburb of Mesa where she continued her work in newspapers at the Mesa Tribune until her retirement.

Cindy loved her family, friends and her rescue dogs: Murphy (Doberman), Barna (Irish Wolfhound), Tonka Bear, Little Smoke and Manitou (Wolf mix), Connor (Airdale), Ace (Hound), and Kiki (Pitt Bull mix). Her other loves in life were her sports teams, Arizona Cardinals football (with season tickets for 20 years!), the Phoenix Suns, The Arizona Rattlers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. She even made the front page of the local Arizona newspaper in a close-up crowd shot as she and her friends cheered on the Cardinals. The picture later appeared in the Berkshire Eagle along with an interview from the Sports Department. She was in heaven when Phoenix hosted the Superbowl and attended the Superbowl in Tampa in 2009 to watch her Cardinals play. She loved attending all the special events the Superbowl brought to town, especially collecting autographs of her favorite players.

Along with her sports activities, Cindy was an avid reader and movie watcher. She had a large collection of both books and DVDs and was constantly re-watching and re-reading them as she talked with family and friends about the stories. She loved music and enjoyed attending many concerts, shows and other events the Phoenix area offered.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Elizabeth Gaherty. She is survived by her sister, Sherry Gaherty of Dalton, MA, her husband and caregiver Ted Sanders of Mesa, AZ, and her beloved dog, Kiki.

There will be no calling hours or funeral for Cindy. She will be cremated with her ashes combined with those of her parents and, eventually, her sister, then spread together. In lieu of flowers she would be honored to have contributions in her name sent to a charity of the donors' choice.