Oswego State was recently devastated by the loss of Cyndia Donovan, who managed the Marano Campus Center box office and passed away at the age of 62 on March 12 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

She worked for Oswego State for 42 years and made a lasting impression on the students she worked with.

Student Association President Emily Nassir describes their relationship as “fairly close.”

“She was the most student-centered person that I have worked with on this campus,” Nassir said. “She would never let anything get in the way of what was best for the students. Students came first, second, third and fourth for her.”

The campus was informed of Donovan’s passing in a campus announcement on March 16, which came to some students as “unexpected,” according to Nassir, who described Donovan as being strong.

“She came into work every day and she had so much personally going on and never let it get in the way of her work,” Nassir said. “She never let it effect anything. She was strong for herself and she was strong for everyone else around her. You could tell that she was willing to sacrifice time healing and resting to be here and spend time with students.”

Senior Krista Vann worked with Donovan in the box office and thought of her as more of a friend than a supervisor.

“She was my first friend on the SUNY Oswego campus,” Vann said. “The first person who always asked how my day was going, how my classes were going and how my extracurricular were going. She was a genuinely kind human being and she made working at the box office both enjoyable and professional.”

Despite her absence, her memory lives through the students she impacted.

“I truly looked forward to working with her every day and there’s definitely a noticeable difference in the environment of our campus community without her,” Vann said. “She fought her battle against cancer with grace and elegance and, of course, wearing her high heels all the while. I think anyone who knew her learned something valuable from her in one way or another, I know that I definitely have. I will carry her memory with me forever.”