Whatever Occurs: Life, Love, and Loss

December 14th, 1930 - July 26th, 2020

You, Scott, Tommie, Roscoe, Frederick, and Chesney all get in a black Cadillac funeral car to head to Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church. Your mother's casket is inside. You and everyone else except for the driver stares at the casket the whole way there. You think about the memories you had with her.

Ethon opens the door for you on your side once you arrive. He takes your hand as you get ready to step out. He puts his right hand on your back and your left hand with his left. He opens the door when he leans up against it, waits for everyone else to get in, and grabs a program for him and you before you both get seated up front.

You read every word in the program, and look at the two pictures in it. You see that Scott's wife Anica has the typed out obituary in her hand. You scout out the room when you see Maddie Godfrey in the left front row. Then you see your in-laws!

"Ethon, did you tell your parents about my mum's funeral?!"

"I did. Are they here?"

"Yes, they're real far back. Let's go say hi."

You and Ethon go up to his family in the back to greet them.

"Hi Mum, hi Dad!" Ethon says with a smile on his face.

"Ethon!" His mother, Ann, reacts cheerfully.

Ethon's stepfather, Hudson, goes up to him and gives him a full body hug, and the two men don't pull away until a minute later. He then greets his seven siblings, and you follow suit after catching your parents in law up on how everything has been. His family offers you their condolences.

After speaking to everyone you were close to, you and Ethon decide to take your seats up front. Malyssa sits next to you, while Beaudry is next to Ethon. When it is eleven o'clock AM on the dot, Anica walks onto the stage to read your mum's obituary.

"Cynthia Chanté Mara was born in Perth, Scotland on Sunday December 14th, 1930 at 2:13 AM to her parents Madden and Laurel Buckley.

Cynthia was a resident of Perth until she moved to Ayr at fifteen years old, where she graduated from Ayr State High School in 1949. Cynthia got married to Judd Mara in June 1952 before she had her first child, Scott Landon Mara in February 1953. Cynthia graduated from the University of East London with Judd in June 1953.

Cynthia lived in London until September 1954, and settled in Aberdeen, Scotland where she had her second child, Tommie Kaitlin Benjamin in November 1954. Cynthia gave birth to five more children with Judd; Leesa Camille Hendren in June 1956, Roscoe Bartholomew Mara in April 1958, Frederick Isaiah Mara in December 1959, Kayla Melissa Venston in July 1961, and Chesney Gabrielle Tomlinson in August 1963.

Cynthia lived in Aberdeen until February 1985 after her daughter, Chesney, moved out and graduated from college, and settled in Glasgow, Scotland where she lived and worked as a TSA agent until she retired when she was sixty-three years old. In October 2014, things took a turn for the worst when Cynthia suffered life threatening injuries from a major stroke that affected her speech, motor skills, cognitive function, and overall bodily functions; which landed her in 3 Bridges Care Home, where she lived for the rest of her life.

After Cynthia was admitted into 3 Bridges Care Home, her husband Judd was diagnosed with dementia in March 2015. Judd promised Cynthia that he would stick by her for the rest of his life, which was until January 2019 when he passed away.

Cynthia is survived by her siblings Cameron Buckley and Zoe Erickson, her children Scott Mara; Tommie Benjamin; Roscoe Mara; Frederick Mara; Kayla Venston; and Chesney Tomlinson, countless grandchildren, great-grandchildren, second great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, acquaintances, and friends. She is preceded in death by both of her parents, nine of her siblings, her husband Judd Mara, and her daughter Leesa Hendren.