Cynthia Fischer

Cynthia Knuth Fischer, environmental consultant, died peacefully early in the morning March 14, 2015, of cancer; she was 88. Cynthia was born in Walpole, Massachusetts on December 27, 1926, to Doris Kendall Strout and Harold A. Strout. Educated at Middlebury College, she earned a B.A. in French and Spanish in 1948. Cynthia then was married to Count Adam Knuth of Denmark (deceased), UN Envoy to the Middle East, from 1950-1953. In 1965, she received a M.A. from NYU in International Law and Government, while working for the United Nations. She loved to swim, sail, play tennis and ski. Later in life, Cynthia was married to Charles Stewart Fischer, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, until his death in 2006, and enjoyed an active life playing bridge and volunteering for the West Chester Lions Club, Chadds Ford Historical society, Second Reading Bookstore to benefit the West Chester Senior Center, Philadelphia Hospitality, Coalition for a Strong UN, Meals on Wheels, Amnesty International, and served on the Valley Forge Audubon Executive Committee, and as the chair of the Thoreau Group Sierra Club.



Cynthia was most proud of her work for the United Nations, one of her fondest memories, where she served as administrative assistant to the FAQ Mission to Iraq, international conference précis writer in Copenhagen; executive secretary to UN legal counsel and to the president of UN General Assembly, and the UN Development Program. She was administrative assistant to the Provost at Boston University, and also to the Director of the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. Cynthia founded Friends of Native Americans in 1986 and established Menotomy Indian Day and Aberjona Indian Day in 1986-1992. Cynthia then founded the Center for Environmental Education in 1990. She enjoyed giving to support justice, Native American, and environmental causes. She would write to world leaders to right a wrong. Cynthia wrote and published books of poetry, a book about her cat, Sierra, and a children's book on swans. She always fed the wild animals and birds in her yard. Cynthia believed in making the most of each day of her life.



Cynthia is survived by her younger brother Kendall Lawrence Strout and his wife Joan Dunton Strout, of Towson, Maryland; his daughter Susan Strout Flanigan and her husband W. Patrick Flanigan, Jr. and their son Patrick and daughter Elizabeth; and daughter Linda Strout Lotz and her husband Timothy Charles Lotz, and their son Matthew and daughter Sallie. She is also survived by her step-son, C. Stewart Fischer, and his wife Jan Fischer, of West Chester, and step-daughter, Diana Fischer Baker, and her husband Robert Baker, and their daughter, Kaelyn, of Kennewick, Washington; her step-son Alan Bryant Fischer died in 2010, and is survived by his wife Betsy Groban and their daughters, Phoebe and Hilary Fischer-Groban, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cynthia also enjoyed many dear friendships throughout her years, including James Juric and his wife Sarah and their family, as well as many bridge friends.



A celebration of Cynthia's life is being planned for later this spring. Her last concern was to organize relief for Syrian Refugees; more than half of the population of Syria is now displaced and the need is dire. Since Cynthia once enjoyed living in Beirut, Lebanon, it seems appropriate to aid refugees in Lebanon. If you would like to make a gift to honor Cynthia's life, please make a contribution to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon through this link -

http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122