Editor’s note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail publishes “A Life Remembered.” This continuing series takes a look back — through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others — at a member of the community who died recently. Today’s “A Life Remembered” is about Cindy Lou Spielman Lewis, who died Feb. 12 at the age of 51. Her obituary was published in the Feb. 14 edition of The Herald-Mail.

Ron Horn’s nickname for Cindy Lewis was “Radar,” and for good reason, according to the longtime deputy Hagerstown fire chief.

Shortly after Ron became deputy fire chief, Hagerstown Fire Chief Gary Hawbaker was sidelined by illness — a tough time for Ron to go solo in a new job.

“I’d be on the phone with someone saying I would work out a form for their needs when Cindy would come in and hand me just what I needed,” Ron said. “That’s the type of worker she was.”

Cindy was the administrative assistant for the Hagerstown Fire Department for 21 years. Gary hired her for that position.

“From the first day, I knew she was the right person for the job,” Gary said. “It was her attitude and that giggly laugh we came to know.”

Over the years, Gary said Cindy earned the reputation of always greeting firefighters and visitors with a smile and a helpful attitude.

“And she never got involved in office politics,” he added.

Marlene Spielman, Cindy’s mother, remembers how her only daughter loved gardening, even from an early age. Part of that was her love for the outdoors, which also took the form of bike riding as a young girl.

A lot of the time, her companion on those bike rides was her younger brother, Michael, who now lives in Pennsylvania.

“Cindy was my best friend,” Michael said. “We were only separated by miles when we grew up.”

Though not a blood relative, Ron Horn said he also felt as close to Cindy as if she was his sister.

“I am an only child,” Ron said. “We had a lot of conversations like she was my sister.”

Tom Brown, longtime Hagerstown fire marshal who retired three years ago, described Cindy as an exceptional co-worker and administrative assistant for the fire department.

“She was a professional who was very organized and efficient in everything she did,” Tom said. “She inspired all of us with her sincerity and enthusiasm.”

He added she had a wonderful sense of humor, something that was necessary for a woman working in a predominantly male environment.

“On a personal level, Cindy was one of my closest and dearest friends over the past 20 years, someone whom I trusted and confided in on many occasions and who helped me through some difficult times in my life,” Tom said. “She was a blessing in my life and someone that I will never forget.”

At Cindy’s memorial service, more than 70 uniformed firefighters were in attendance, according to her mother, a testament to Cindy’s legacy of the impact she had on so many lives.

Cindy’s daughter, Cherie Lushbaugh, concurred with her grandmother about Cindy’s legacy, both for friends and family. She said her mother would have been proud of the turnout at her service.

“Mom was a very loving person who always helped me with my homework and reports for school,” Cherie said. Many times, Cherie would visit her mother at her office when she was a youngster.

Cindy recently had thrown herself into her new role of “mawmaw” with the birth of her only grandson, Nathan Lushbaugh, three years ago.

Now, Cindy’s family, friends and co-workers are struggling to get along without her warmth, compassion and comradeship.

Even in death, Cindy was thinking of the fire department and its community projects. In lieu of flowers, she asked that memorial contributions be made to the Hagerstown Fire Department’s Smoke Detector Program.

Still, it was her efforts in life that will be most remembered by those who loved Cindy.

“I was off unexpectedly a year ago for about two weeks and thanks to Cindy, I came back to a clear desk,” Ron said. “She took care of everything while I was gone.”