Obituary of Cynthia Maureen Megas-Dowden

In loving Memory of

Cynthia Maureen Megas Dowden

May 25, 1958 – September 13, 2023

Cynthia (Cindy) Maureen Megas Dowden was born to James and Betty Megas in Denver, Colorado on May 25, 1958 the third of four children. She grew up in Denver and attended Edison Elementary  and Skinner Junior High then graduated from North High School in 1976. She went on to earn a BA in Art from the University of Colorado – Boulder.

Cynthia married Gary Dowden on July 19, 1991. They lived near the Prudhoe Bay in Northern Alaska for a time before settling down in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton, Texas. After fifteen years there, Gary took a position with Covenant Testing and Technologies near Houston. They bought a lovely home in Conroe, Texas where Cindy transformed their barren, unlandscaped lot into a tropical paradise filled with magnolia, palms of every sort, sweet alyssum, crepe myrtle, rhododendron, jasmine, flowering dogwood, camellias, and, her favorite, old-stock roses.

The Dowden home and garden were a haven for possum and raccoon. Cynthia had a huge place in her heart for all wild creatures and she rescued numerous feral cats, some of whom they kept and loved and others Cindy worked to rehome. She is survived by four of the cats – JoJo, LulaBell, Bela, and Wyatt. Cindy and Gary lived there for another fifteen years until Gary’s death four years ago.

After Gary passed away in 2019, Cindy moved back to Colorado where she shared a home with her beloved sister, Stephani for the past two years. Cynthia created more amazingly beautiful and bountiful gardens there.  The two of them transformed yet another unkept, over grown yard into a serene, pastoral gem with lovely areas of tranquility and beauty interspersed throughout. Each area is unique and stamped with Cynthia’s flare for painting the landscape with flowers in shades of petunia, clematis, zinnia, impatiens, sunflowers, alyssum, begonia, and, of course, old-stock roses. The outrageous ceramic gargoyle heads and garden art pieces that she collected over the years are scattered in nooks and crannies giving the gardens whimsy and fanciful magic. There are reminders of her everywhere from the flowers she planted to the charming bird houses she painted.

Cynthia had a great deal of fun sharing her knowledge of flowers and gardening when she worked during the spring seasons for Plum Creek Pop-Up Gardens. There, her nurturing spirit flourished as she rescued declining plant stock and brought many ‘dead’ plants back to life. Her love of plants was contagious and customers would come into the store planning to buy one plant and leave with ten. There are happy plants thriving all over town because Cindy Dowden convinced customers to buy them and take them home.

Cynthia’s flare for art was not limited to her gardens. She used her creativity, charm and talent with a flourish in everything she touched. She was an amazing baker. She wouldn’t settle for a plain top crust on a pie. She created wonderful seasonal art scenes with pie dough. The pie crusts were so pretty, no one wanted to cut into them. But the pies themselves were so delicious that they were devoured within minutes. She would create pictures with vegetables on a platter. Her cookies were edible charms. Nieces and nephews looked forward to the customary box of ‘Witches Fingers’ Aunt Cynthia sent every Halloween. Cynthia used a needle and thread to make art. She created intricate counted-cross-stitch masterpieces for each niece and nephew when they were born. These hang in her hallway to this day. Her painting was not limited to canvas. She would take the most drab, boring, distressed furniture and make it come alive with a painted scene or textured finish. She painted bees (a favorite theme), or flowers, or geometric patterns that would make the piece dance with life. One wall in her office is hand-painted with geometric squares over the entire area. Her imagination was boundless.

Cindy’s enthusiasm for decorating for the holidays is legendary. People would come from miles around her homes in Texas to view her outdoor decorations for Halloween and Christmas – complete with scary screams or Christmas carols over the loudspeaker. And the festive atmosphere continued into the house.  Every season or holiday washed over the halls, mantels, doorways, and shelves of Cynthia’s homes. Christmas trees sagged with her collection of unique ornaments. Boughs of holly and evergreen wound around and over mantles and ceiling lights. Seemingly, millions of miniature lights adorned every crevice. Skeletons danced on the tables during Halloween. Autumn gourds and dried bunches of Indian Corn festooned the front door and table tops. Lively pastel arrangements of bunnies and Easter eggs come out in Spring. Every season was celebrated in the Dowden home.

Cynthia had a ready smile for everyone she met and a special place in her heart for family. Her nieces and nephew were especially dear. She took her them on amazing trips to destinations near and far – a trip on inner tubes down a lazy river, a hotel where rooms were perched in the trees. Never anywhere ordinary. She explored the small towns and back country in her beloved Texas. She would get a mischievous sparkle in her eye when planning the perfect outing or occasion. She relished adventure and making people happy.

Cynthia enjoyed every moment with family. She was especially fond of her Texas ‘Mom’, Barbara Dowden. She is survived by her siblings James Monte Megas, Katherine Megas Sanchez Hokens, Stephani Megas, nephew Connor Erickson and nieces Adriana Megas and Delaney Erickson. We will miss her beautiful smile and warm, joyful heart. We love you always, Cynt.

A “Celebration of Cindy” will be held on Sunday, October 1^st at 1pm

Location: 1120 Whispering Oak Drive, Castle Rock, CO 80104

Please email for details or questions:

SLMinsortorder@gmail.com