Cynthia L. Knisely

Cynthia L. McKimmie Knisely, age 66, of New Philadelphia, died Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital at Dover following a brief illness.

Born on July 22, 1958, in Robinson Memorial Hospital at Ravenna, Cindi was the daughter of the late Harold L. and Gloria Sarrocco McKimmie.

She was a 1976 graduate of New Philadelphia High School where she could often be found performing on stage and playing the trumpet as a member of the Marching Quaker Band. She furthered her education at Kent State University where she obtained her Bachelor of Education and years later completed a Master’s of Education through Ashland University. As an educator, Cindi had a 30-plus year career in the classroom where she taught for St. Mary’s and Claymont City Schools. She loved when her students had their “aha!” moments as she helped them to discover their potential and achieve their goals.

When not in the classroom, her favorite summertime activity was floating in her pool. Otherwise, she could be found reading, tracing family history and genealogy, sometimes traveling out of state to follow bits of information. Cindi was an avid fan of THE Ohio State Buckeyes, The Cleveland Browns and Guardians and even followed NASCAR. She enjoyed cooking special family meals in the style of her mother’s Italian heritage and was often heard singing her favorite songs as she worked around the house.

To know Cindi was to be keenly aware of her love for storytelling and her ability to recall special details about events which surrounded her life. One story she often shared was how she met the love of her life, Ted, as the couple were set up on a date by a mutual friend which resulted in a concert to see Bad Company on her birthday. As high school sweethearts, that date would result in the couple being married on June 14, 1980, having two beloved sons, and sharing 43 years of life together until Ted’s passing on November 15, 2023.

Cindi will be missed by her family which includes her sons, Joseph Knisely (fiancée, Brenna Hiironen) of Parma and Alex (Kami) Knisely of Cuyahoga Falls, a brother, Spence L. McKimmie of New Philadelphia; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Tim (Patty) Knisely of New Philadelphia; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Peg (Doug) McIntire of New Philadelphia; two nieces, Holly Knisely of Lakewood and Kelly McIntire of Uniontown; a great-nephew, Michael L’Amoreaux of Uniontown, and a special cousin, Damon (Cathy) Sarrocco of Akron.

A graveside service will be led by her friend, Pastor Brian Flood, on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 11 AM in the Schoenbrunn Meadow Burial Park at New Philadelphia, where she will be laid to rest next to her beloved, Ted. Following the service, all are invited to join the family in a celebration of Cindi’s life, in the Family Center of the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia.