Cindy D. Bear

Cynthia D. “Cindy” Bear, 68, of Carlisle, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2024 at UPMC Carlisle while surrounded by her loving family after a courageous four-year battle with ALS.

Born on September 19, 1955, to (the late) Donald and JoAnn (Blackburn) Heishman, she grew up in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where she attended and graduated from Carlisle High School. In 1973, she married her sweetheart, Charles “Chuck” Bear. Over the course of 51 years of marriage, they remained in Carlisle and welcomed four children: Corey, Craig, Carly, and Caitlyn. Throughout their marriage, they cherished family vacations to the beach, cheering on the Philadelphia Phillies, and attending various Thundering Herd sporting events. Cindy also enjoyed gardening and crafting, but what brought her the most joy was time with her 11 grandchildren.

After holding various jobs, Cindy attended Harrisburg Area Community College, graduating in 1991 with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She started her career at ChildTime School Age Care in Carlisle and later became a preschool teacher for Carlisle Area Head Start. She eventually became the Center Director, completing a 20+ year career. Her passion for helping children and families was evident, especially through her efforts to organize donations for the Angel Tree at Christmastime.

Cindy was a longtime member of Waggoners Church, where she led several youth Sunday School classes and initiated Time for Tots, a program for preschool-aged children. For 38 summers, she served as the Director of Summertime Adventure for North Middleton Parks and Recreation. She took great pride and joy in running the six-week summer program, meeting new children and welcoming back the regulars, and creating countless memories, impacting thousands of children in the community. After retirement and during the school year, you could find her taking tickets for several sporting events for Carlisle High School.

She was known for her kindness, strength, storytelling, huge heart, and sense of humor. Cindy was quick with a hug or a listening ear, showing genuine care and interest in the lives of others.

Cindy is survived by her loving husband, Chuck Bear; her four children, Corey Bear (wife, Megan and their children, Alexis and Nathan), Craig Bear (sons, Aaron, Benjamin, Colston, and Donovan), Carly Snider (husband, Wes and their children, Colton, Riley, Bryce and Landon), and Caitlyn Ruhl (husband, Travis and their son, Nolan); her mother, JoAnn Heishman; her sisters, Cathy Raraigh and Caryn Wilson, and brothers-in-law, Mike (wife, Darlene) and Bill (wife, Lenelle) Bear; 12 nieces and nephews: Duff Raraigh, Joseph, Jacob, and Jarrett Wilson, Amanda, Angela, and Andrew Bear, and Alicia (Torres), Emily, Sarah, Molly, and Adam Bear; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Donald Heishman; her in-laws, Ray and Alma Bear; brothers-in-law, Kim Raraigh and Barry Wilson.

Relatives and friends are invited to her celebration of life service at 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at Hoffman Funeral & Cremation, Ltd., 2020 W. Trindle Road, Carlisle.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Cindy’s name may be made to Waggoners Church, 1271 Longs Gap Road, Carlisle, PA 17013.