Cecilia Marie Cicchinelli

Cicchinelli, Cecilia Marie PURCELLVILLE, Va. Cecilia Marie Cicchinelli, of Purcellville, Va., died June 15, 2018, at the age of 58. Born on November 11, 1959, in Ann Arbor, Mich., she was the daughter of Alexander Cicchinelli and Helen Grant Cicchinelli. Cecilia was a graduate of Shaker High School in Latham. She earned her B.S. in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University, where she was a proud member of the Northwestern University Marching Band, and earned her master's in international relations from the University of Southern California. Cecilia was a woman of many talents and interests. Early in her career, in Illinois, she worked in a lab developing methods and materials for treating burn victims. In her Los Angeles years, she collaborated in the founding of the Center for International Studies at USC and also established a speaker series and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Studies. Both of these programs continue to this day. Later in her career, in Virginia, she worked as a project manager in telecommunications and as an IT billing solutions specialist. Cecilia volunteered as a legal defense advocate for abused women and devoted many hours to the care of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Virginia. She was certified in SCUBA, as an EMT, as a marksman, and as a pilot. She was also an accomplished seamstress and a color consultant. She ran a marathon, hiked a glacier, and traveled the world both by plane and by ship. She cared for the animals and plants on her small farm and, most of all, cared deeply for the countless people she loved and called family and friends. She is survived by her husband, Karl Hamilton; father, seven siblings, two stepchildren,19 nieces and nephews, and 14 grandchildren. Memorial services are being planned for Purcellville, Va. and Loudonville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore, Md. at hopkinsmedicine.org. Please visit hallfh.com to express online condolences to Cecilia's family.