Cynthia Degolia Cornish Nowlan passed away on May 20, 2022, in Vancouver, though her California spirit will live on.
Born in 1934 to Herbert and Yvonne Cornish, Cynthia grew up in the then small town of Palo Alto with her brother Jim. She graduated from Stanford University where she played on the women’s tennis team, one of her lifelong passions. Her competitive temperament was a guiding force all her life, displayed in ‘friendly’ family tennis doubles, golf, kayak sprints, and bridge.
At the age of 20, she met Nova Scotian John Patrick Nowlan when she was a bridesmaid, and he an usher at her brother’s wedding. They were married at the Stanford University Chapel in April 1956. After a year in Wolfville, NS, and the birth of their first child, Nancy, they decided to move to Vancouver, a halfway point between sunny California and the wintery east coast of Canada.
The family grew with the addition of Linda, John Patrick Jr., and James. Cynthia moved the family to Ottawa in 1966 to be closer to her husband’s political career. There she became a successful businesswoman, showing her talent for real estate by owning and running the Pepper Pot as well as investing in properties in the Byward Market.
She happily retired with Pat to Carmel Valley, California in the mid-1990s, creating a home filled with antiques and an idyllic garden framed by old oak trees. Her interest in art blossomed. Cynthia became an accomplished landscape artist and took great joy in plein air painting. She and Pat continued to spend their summers on Pasley Island, B.C., at the cottage. Family gatherings there were very important to her.
She made many trips to Europe and around the world with her parents, husband, and children. She loved museums and galleries and was known to race the family through at closing time. She instilled her belief in education in her children, encouraging them and her grandchildren to pursue multiple degrees. Her husband, Pat, predeceased her in 2020.
Cynthia will be deeply missed by her children, Nancy, Linda (Jim), John (Nuket), and James; her grandchildren; and her friends.