Cynthia (Cindy) Cotten Greenway, 68, of Athens, Alabama, passed away on November 9, 2023. She was born on January 11, 1955, to parents, Edward Lee Cotten and JoAnne Hale.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Randal Greenway; her loving children Heather Necklaus Hudson (Shawn), Trey Necklaus (Shanna), Meaghan Necklaus (Leah Holley), Kyle Greenway, & Kasey Greenway; her grandchildren whom she adored Gracie Hudson, Matthew & Paisley Hudson, Brennon Hudson, Lo Capell, Emory Necklaus, Sailor Necklaus, Jules Salgado & Nash Greenway; her loyal service dog Eli; her cherished father Ed Cotten; and her brother and friend Mike Cotten.
Cindy is preceded in death by her mother JoAnne King and stepfather Bobby whom she enjoyed spending time with on family trips to Destin, Florida, and Dauphin Island, Alabama.
Cindy taught with iAcademy at Athens Elementary for 33 years initially as a first grade teacher and then as a Title I/Reading and Math Resource teacher for PK-3 where she touched countless lives with her passion for teaching kids. For the past three years, she has worked alongside Eli, a trained Labradoodle therapy dog, who provides emotional support to students, faculty, and staff at Athens Elementary. After taking a break from school to be at home with Cindy during her illness, Eli is looking forward to being back at school to continue Cindy’s legacy and love for her students. Cindy was nominated by her peers and recognized as the iAcademy/Athens Elementary School 2023 teacher of the year and was recognized at the Athens City Schools Foundation Teacher of the Year Gratitude Banquet held on November 7, 2023.
Cindy attended Athens State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and her Master’s of Education in Early Childhood Education from Alabama A&M University.
She loved spending time with her young grandkids and watching them play sports and dance as well as being out in the sun on the water enjoying “lake life” at Tim’s Ford in Tennessee, or being on the beach making memories with her family. She also enjoyed traveling, camping, kayaking, and reading. And she loved dogs (especially Eli and all of her granddogs) and listening to music. She was lucky enough to attend concerts of some of her favorite artists including Paul McCartney, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Ringo Starr, and Delbert McClinton.
She was love and she was light. The epitome of grace and class. A beautiful soul with a pure heart who made everyone feel like a special piece of Christmas, her favorite holiday.
Memorial services celebrating Cindy’s life will be held on Sunday, November 19, 2023, in Athens, Alabama, at Limestone Chapel Funeral at 3:00pm with visitation at the funeral home from 1pm to 3pm.
For flowers the family recommends Simpson’s Florist, Decatur, Alabama. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations in Cindy’s honor to Service Dogs Alabama at servicedogsalabama.org/donate or to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at pancan.org/donate.
