Cynthia Sue Empson

Cynthia Sue Empson - our mother, our grandmother, our sister, our aunt, our "Cici" - passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on June 18, 2025, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, at the age of 78. Born on May 29, 1947, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she leaves a legacy of love and loyalty that lives on in all of us. Cindy is remembered as generous, expressive, funny and fiercely independent. Some have even called her an icon.
Cindy began her career as a nurse, drawn from an early age to share her caring nature and her concern for the people around her. She also had the opportunity to serve others when she ran for and was elected to a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives. She served the state for 14 years, and this was the achievement she was most proud of when she looked back on her life in later years. In a time when collaboration and bipartisanship was celebrated, Cindy worked with colleagues from across the political spectrum, and her constituents were better off for it.
Cindy raised her two daughters, Stacey and Stephanie, with their father and her husband, Chuck, in Independence, Kansas, and she is fondly remembered for being an integral part of their community, where she lived and worked for more than 45 years. Cindy was an animal lover her whole life. Her dogs were simply members of the family, and her three labrador retrievers were front and center with their endorsement during her campaigns for the state house. She never saw an animal in need that she didn't want to help, and the Empson dog pack grew with each passing year. If you showed up on her doorstep as a homeless dog, you found yourself with a home for life.
Cindy became a mother at an early age, and, later in life, she truly found her calling as a grandmother. She meant the world to her four grandchildren - Lucy and Nora Ruderman, and Cash and Avery Osler - and they adore her, as do her sons-in-law, Eric Ruderman and Steve Osler. She was always there to celebrate their successes, and she loved her grandchildren with a fierceness that was palpable, and they knew it. Cindy's love and caring extended to their entire generation, and she was always there to support all of her grand-nieces and nephews, and they knew that too. Our Cici leaves behind a large, close-knit family, and her love was always a key part of the glue that keeps us together. Her memory will remain ever-present in the family's lively text thread and Wordle group chat.
Cindy loved to travel the world, but she especially loved to travel with family. In recent years, she reveled in trips with her daughters and grandchildren, and she cherished the opportunity to spend time with them and to see the world through their eyes. She may have complained bitterly about the climb to the top of a small island town in Greece, but there was nothing else she would rather have been doing. Our family has trips planned that Cindy won't be able to join us for, but she'll be there in our hearts nonetheless, and those very trips will become a celebration of our Cici.
Cindy was preceded in death by her parents, Charles (Pepa) and Mary Jane (Mema) Wiersch, her devoted husband, Dr. Charles (Chuck) Empson, her sister, Marcy Johnson, and her brother, Charles Wiersch. Cindy leaves behind a large, extended family and circle of friends who find themselves with a hole in their lives, but who will forever hold her memory in their hearts.
Cindy did not want a formal celebration of her life, but we invite you to honor her memory in a way that is most meaningful to you, perhaps by walking a dog, playing cards with your family or enjoying a vodka tonic. In lieu of flowers, plants or trees, Cindy would be most grateful for any donations that can be made to Animals with Our Love (AWOL) Humane Society by clicking HERE or to Compassion for Canines Rescue where she recently rescued her beloved, if ill behaved, Teddy, by clicking HERE.
CiCi would appreciate anyone celebrating her lifelong commitment to helping those who cannot speak for themselves.