Cynthia Bashford

1953 - 2025

In Loving Memory of Cynthia Quinn Bashford.

Cynthia Quinn Bashford, mother, grandmother, sister, and steadfast friend, peacefully entered eternal rest on July 9, 2025, in Wilmington, North Carolina, surrounded by the family she so lovingly nurtured. Leaving behind a legacy as gracious and steady as the Southern hills that cradled her early years. She was 71.

Born on August 4, 1953, she brought into the world a light that never dimmed- a rare blend of gentleness, humor, intellect, and unwavering devotion to others. Raised in Shelby, North Carolina, Cynthia embodied the quiet grace and inner strength of her Southern roots. She was a woman of deep faith, tender wisdom, and luminous presence- devout without show, steady without pride, and filled with a reverence for life that made everything around her feel holy. Her belief in God was woven into every corner of her life, and it shaped not only how she lived, but how she loved with compassion, conviction, and care.

Cynthia graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne College in 1975 with a Bachelor of Education degree. Her education nurtured not only a love of learning but also a deep respect for service and a lifelong devotion to others- especially her students, whose lives she touched from the mountains to the shores of North Carolina.

To know Cynthia was to feel cared for-mind, body, and soul. She was a woman who tended to the hearts of others with quiet purpose, whether she was slipping handwritten notes into lunchboxes, offering a patient ear, or preparing a casserole filled with love and intention. Her kitchen was an altar of comfort and connection. The family dogs knew her footsteps meant love and a treat was never far behind. She lovingly stayed up late to marinate shrimp for days or to stir together ingredients for a dish that nourished more than just the stomach. Her hands moved with grace, her smile lingered long, and her hospitality was never rushed- nor was she.

Cynthia's nurturing spirit extended beyond people and animals to the natural world itself. She held a profound reverence for nature, its rhythms, its beauty, and its quiet wisdom. Whether walking through mountain trails or admiring the tides at the coast, she moved with awareness, gratitude, and awe. She passed that reverence on to all who loved her-teaching them to pause, to notice, and to honor what is sacred in the everyday.

Her life's work was poured into her family and friends. She gave herself fully and without condition. As a mother, she was steady and wise. As a grandmother, she was tender and devoted. As a friend, she was true and constant. Her home was a sanctuary of softness and strength, a place where everyone felt special, cared for and loved.

Cynthia had an artist's eye, a gardener's patience, and a reader's soul. She believed in handwritten letters, fresh flowers on the table, and the beauty of small, deliberate things. Her faith was lived, not spoken-a quiet rhythm of generosity, humility, and grace.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 23 years, Dr. Robert Bashford with whom she shared a life of warmth, service, and quiet devotion; her parents, Flay Dewitt Quinn Jr. and Mary Virginia Quinn; her brother, Creighton Quinn and her goddaughter Sarah Quinn Laney.

Cynthia is survived by her son, Sydney Taylor Rudisill, and his wife, Chelsea McNeil Rudisill, of Wilmington; grandchildren, Live Grace, Cole, and Kingston, who reside with them in Wilmington; sister, Amanda Quinn Hovis of Denver; brothers, Flay Dewitt Quinn III of Shelby and Sydney Vincent Quinn of Wanchese; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and treasured friends who became as family.

Her family extends heartfelt thanks to the many friends and caregivers who stood beside her in her final months. Even in illness, Cynthia remained a portrait of gratitude never complaining, always giving thanks.

A service to honor and celebrate Cynthia's life will be held on Friday, September 19th at 3:00 p.m. at St. Andrew's On-the-Sound Episcopal Church in Wilmington.

In keeping with her giving spirit, memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew's On-the-Sound Episcopal Church, which she loved and faithfully supported.

Cynthia lived with joy, gave with a full heart, and made all who knew her feel that they belonged. Her legacy is written in the lives she touched in the love she gave, the beauty she cultivated, and the faith with which she walked through this world. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.