Cynthia A. Braff

Greenfield, Massachusetts
Cynthia Ann “Cyndi” (Bernaski) Braff, 63, a resident of 16 Woodleigh Avenue, died peacefully on Saturday evening, June 22, 2019 at the Buckley Health Care Center, 95 Laurel Street, following a period of declining health.

Cyndi was born on September 13, 1955 to Barbara (Pease) and Thomas Bernaski at the Wesson Women's Hospital in Springfield, MA. They moved to the Queens section of NYC, where she attended local public schools, and later in Elmhurst (L.I.), NY, before returning to Western Massachusetts. She graduated from Mohawk Regional High School in the Class of 1973. After high school, she attended Greenfield Community College, where she met her husband Gary. In 1976, Cyndi graduated with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and sometime later, she received certification as a Pharmacy Technician while working for CVS.

Cyndi worked for several years, as a medical records clerk within the Baystate Hospital System in Greenfield, Ware and Springfield, MA. She was a member of Temple Israel and Hadassah. Cyndi enjoyed traveling to the beach and searching for shells and treasures at the shore. Dining out was one of her favorite pastimes, with a penchant for pastry, in particular - she loved donuts! Shopping was another pastime, often in consignment or thrift stores where she would find a hidden gem of some type, with sparkly things being her favorite find! Knitting, dry flower arranging, classic black and white horror movies and any movie starring Cary Grant brought her great joy. So did, a “good cup of coffee” shared in conversation with the best of friends. Holiday cards were a source of happiness to her - more so to give than to receive.

Among her greatest joys was her marriage to her husband of nearly 38 years, Gary B. Braff, whom she married on July 5, 1981 in Agawam, MA, as well as the birth of their beautiful daughter Alaine. Recently married, Alaine’s husband Casey Beaudette was welcomed with much love into the family.

In addition to her loving and devoted husband, daughter and son-in-law, Cyndi is remembered with affection by her brother, Gerald Bernaski and his wife Kum, and their daughter Jessica, of Greenfield, MA, as well as by her mother and father-in-law Barbara and Richard “Dick” Braff of Plantation, FL; brother-in-law, Ned Braff of Orlando, FL and sister-in-law Marti Hayes and her son Lee, of Greenfield, MA and countless numbers of loving, special friends.

In keeping with Cyndi’s request for simplicity, a private graveside service and burial will take place at the Greenfield Hebrew Cemetery, Greenfield, MA, with Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener, Spiritual Leader of Temple Israel, to officiate.

A public celebration of Cyndi’s life, will be observed on Friday, June 28, 2019 at the Terrazza Restaurant at the Greenfield Country Club, 244 Country Club Road, Greenfield, MA from 12 Noon until 2:00 PM. Expressions of affection in the form of a charitable contribution in Cyndi’s memory, are preferred in lieu of flowers to the Toys for Tot’s Campaign, online at https://westernmass.toysfortots.org/

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