Cynthia Garrison Ware

Cynthia Garrison Ware, Age 77, of Washington, DC, died on March 28, 2024 of Parkinson's disease.

Born in Huntington, West Virginia, Cynthia was the daughter of Virginia (Booth) and Gordon Ware. She attended the College Preparatory School in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated magna cum laude from Vassar College with a B.A. in history.

It was in her first job as an editorial assistant at MIT Press that she discovered architectural history as a field of scholarly and professional publishing. She held subsequent editorial positions at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the American Institute of Architects, and the Society of Architectural Historians. For the last seventeen years of her professional career until retirement in 2021, Cynthia worked at the National Gallery of Art as Managing Editor of Publications at the Center for Advanced Study of the Visual Arts. Her focus broadened beyond architecture and ranged across fields, media, and periods, but working in an exceptional modernist building meant that she didn't forget where she was grounded. Throughout her career, Cynthia was known for the quality and rigor of her work and respected for her diligence, reliability, and collegiality. Beneath her quiet, calm demeanor was a steady determination to get it right.

Cynthia was an avid reader and took advantage of the many cultural offerings in Washington, including concerts, lectures, museums. She also appreciated humor - the drier the better – in readings and in conversation. She had a facility for language and could pivot to French for professional work or personal travel. And she took pleasure in good food – even simple fare like a farmers market peach or a dark French chocolate.

Cynthia is survived by her sister, Laura McMunigal; and brother-in-law, Philip McMunigal; and by her niece, Virginia McMunigal (Patrick Kelley) and nephew, Will McMunigal, all of whom she loved to visit in Philadelphia, PA.

A memorial event will be held at a later date. Contributions in Cynthia's memory may be made to Vassar College (www.vassar.edu).