Never say that Cindy Ann Hatcher Bass “lost her battle” with pancreatic cancer! Even in the face of death, Cindy recognized she would “win” her battle when entering the Pearly Gates of heaven. Cindy waged war with this horrible disease, and defying all odds, survived for 5 years!
Earth lost an angel when Cindy joined her Heavenly Father on January 30, 2019. Cindy was the 5th of 6 children to Inez and Ivan Hatcher, and one of 5 girls. Her nomadic childhood spanned the New England coast, the entire Southeastern US, the Midwest and Arizona, where she attended 16 elementary schools and 2 junior high schools before settling down in Decatur, Alabama for high school after her father’s passing in 1971. Once graduating from Decatur High School in 1975 and at her oldest sister Judy’s urging, Cindy moved to Maine to attend nursing school. While at Central Maine Medical School of Nursing, Cindy made lifelong friends before graduating in 1978. She went to work in Bath, Maine and found her love of Labor and Delivery nursing. She found another love while in Bath, this time a sailor named Frank Alen Bass. Against the direction of the Navy chaplain who couldn’t support their interfaith marriage, Cindy and Frank wed on August 13, 1983. She liked to say she spent the night before her wedding in a funeral home. (It was the home of her bridesmaid whose father was a mortician. Her dress hung in one of the parlors.)
Through Frank’s deployments and moving to Virginia Beach, VA, Cindy continued her nursing career while raising the lights of her life: Zachary Alen (Sunshine), Emily Jule (Baby) and Sarah Ann (Boo). After Frank retired from the Navy in 1996, they settled in Mountain City, TN. Always loving a challenge and never able to say, “No,” Cindy expanded her nursing portfolio to become a Lamaze instructor, a lactation consultant and by bringing countless babies into this world. She never stopped learning! In 2009, Cindy earned her B.S. in Nursing from King University and then her Masters in Nursing Administration from East Tennessee State University in 2012. An avid Tennessee Volunteer, Cindy’s efforts included support for the March of Dimes and promoting AWHONN. Cindy was an active member of AWHONN (Association of Women’s Health, OB and Neonatal Nurses) throughout her career. Locally, she was active in the Northeast Tennessee Chapter and a tireless recruiter of new members to AWHONN. She also served as a member of the Host Committee for the 2010 AWHONN National Convention and served on the Tennessee Section program planning committee. Cindy was recognized for her relentless volunteering with the Mountain States Health Alliance Servant’s Heart Award in 2012.
Cindy was proud of many things in her life. The first on her list was becoming a Child of God. Cindy accepted Christ as her Savior through Baptism in 1973 at First Baptist Church in Decatur, Alabama. She was proud that Frank joined her faith becoming a Christian Jew. Both Cindy and Frank worshipped at Pleasant Grove Baptist, where Cindy taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. Her testimony was always visible through her actions, but never more than after her diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer. Cindy brought her faith to the forefront through the testimony of her journey with this disease. She took every opportunity to share her story and her faith whether on an airplane, in the line at the grocery store or in her hospital bed. She accumulated over 80,000 followers on her Caring Bridge blog since this story began in March 2014.
Of all the mantles Cindy proudly wore, her favorite was “Grammy.” On June 5, 2015, Emily and husband Jason Roberts welcomed Elliot Jude Roberts and Landon Kyle Roberts into the world. Cindy was in the delivery room and never missed an opportunity to be there for them, even while battling pancreatic cancer!
One of Cindy’s final wishes was for her life to be celebrated, not mourned. (She graciously admitted you could be sad for 5 minutes and then get over it.) If you knew Cindy, celebrate your relationship by spending an afternoon with family and friends, and remember Cindy anytime you hear a Christmas carol. If you didn’t know Cindy, get to know her through the tremendous legacy she left with those of us blessed to be in her world.
The family will receive visitors on Friday, February 1, 2019, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. We will Celebrate Cindy’s life in a service on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at 2:00p.m. Both events will be held at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Mountain City, TN.
Mountain City Funeral Home, 224 S. Church St, Mtn. City, TN 37683. www.mountaincityfh.com
