Katrina's Lives Lost: Cynthia Snowden, 1958-2005 Submitted By: N.O.V.A November 2005 Source: Times Picayune 11-08-2005 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Cynthia Marie Snowden faced many challenges in her life, but even with her disabilities, she was a vibrant person who always helped others. "She knew what it was like to have no help. If she could help, she was there," said her sister, Julia Snowden of Albuquerque, N.M. Her aunt, Alta Maynard of Gretna, said she always thought of Cynthia as a sweet-natured girl who "just really liked people a lot, and most people responded." "She could talk your arm off," Maynard said. Cynthia Snowden was born and raised in the Upper 9th Ward. She was mildly mentally disabled but grew up to become an independent and outgoing adult. "She was very adventurous, even though she had limitations," said her sister. When a friend took her sailing and got sick, Snowden ended up sailing the boat. She loved fishing, movies, shopping and adding to her key chain collection. "Oh, that key chain collection!" her sister said. "She had them from all over the world." To Guy Lillian, Snowden was "kind of like a kid sister." They met when they both lived in the same apartment building. "She was a diabetic and needed friends. What she gave in return was absolute loyalty and devotion that was just inspiring," he said. Lillian often gave Snowden rides when she needed them, including several trips to the hospital necessitated by her diabetes. Snowden once chased a youngster trying to steal Lillian's car, and then gave testimony in court against the boy. The judge called her a good neighbor, a good friend and a good citizen. Another time at Tulane and Broad, "They happened to be filming (the movie) 'JFK' at the time, and she was looking at the movie stars," said Lillian, a lawyer who practices criminal law. "She went and hugged Sissy Spacek," he remembered. "She's looking at Kevin Costner, and she said, 'Hey, he's good looking. Introduce me.' " Snowden lived for many years with an elderly friend whom she assisted. After the woman died, Cynthia lived in several places. "I offered to support her and have her live with me in Albuquerque, but she loved New Orleans so much she wouldn't leave," Julia Snowden said. "Twice in the last few years, we threw her in the back of our car and we fled from hurricanes," Lillian said. Then he and his wife moved to Shreveport. "Cindy had moved into Raphael Manor, this three-story, solid facility for old folks and the infirm. Cindy felt safe there," he said. "She told me that they had a bus they would use to get them out of there if there was a hurricane, so I wasn't particularly worried until Katrina came along." But there was no bus. "We didn't have much notice at all, and I'm stuck up here," Lillian said from Shreveport. When he called her shortly after the hurricane, she "sounded fine, very perky, and said she and other residents will get through this together." Cynthia Snowden, who was 46, died sometime after her last medical log entry, which was Sept. 1. "I think it was the stress and anxiety," Lillian said. "She had a lot of candy, and she ate a lot of it and laid down and went to sleep. It was a peaceful way to go."