Obituary of Cynthia Eiswert McIlmurray

Devoted Wife and Mother, Career IBM Employee Cynthia Eiswert McIlmurray, a highly regarded individual known for her resiliency and grace, died peacefully in her home in Darien, CT on Thursday, August 18. She was 60. Cindy was born on May 8, 1956 in Chicago, Illinois to Albert and Pauline (Szutowicz) Eiswert. She attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology. While at NIU she was inducted into Sigma Kappa sorority. Upon her graduation in 1978 she joined IBM in Chicago and has remained with the company since then. Over the years her career progressed through a series of staff and management positions at the field, region, and strategic business unit levels. In her last role she worked in the legal department of IBM Global Finance as a subject matter expert in contracts, negotiations, and regulatory compliance directly supporting worldwide business operations. Throughout her career she was consistently ranked as a top performer and received many awards and recognition for excellence and professionalism. In addition to her regular duties Cindy also served as a college recruiter and mentor to many of IBM's current and future leaders. During her first year with IBM Cindy met her husband, Spencer McIlmurray, who worked in the same office at the time. The couple married in June of 1982 and lived in Evanston, Illinois until October 1989 when they moved to Darien, Connecticut. From the start of married life they enjoyed entertaining family and friends and hosted many parties and holiday celebrations at their home each year. Cindy and Spencer enjoyed world travel and were fortunate to visit a wide variety of destinations in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. In her spare time Cindy was an avid tennis player, book reader, gardener, and pianist. She also served as a board member and frequent volunteer in support of various programs and events held at King School and The Children's Community in Stamford. Cindy is survived by her husband Spencer, daughter Lindsay of Darien, and sisters Annette Prendergast of Orland Park, Illinois and Tola Trendl of Lombard, Illinois. She was predeceased by her parents and brother, Anthony Eiswert. A celebration of life event is being planned to be held in Darien in the fall. In honor of Cindy the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/involved/donate/memorialgiving/memorial-giving). by the Family Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820