Cynthia Gordhamer

On Monday, September 23, 2019 as the sun rose, Cynthia Gordhamer softly passed away in her beloved Taos home. She often said that there was no place in the world she would rather be.

Cynthia was born in Oklahoma City to Warren and Lucile Howell and had an older sister, Carol, whom she adored. Her family moved to Enid, Oklahoma where she spent her childhood and teenage years. She married an air force pilot, Ken Gordhamer, and with him and growing family enjoyed the adventure of living in many different parts of the country.

Cynthia’s love of northern New Mexico began as a young girl when her family spent summers at Young’s Ranch in Red River. Her parents eventually built a cabin and she spoke of the pristine beauty of Red River at that time where she could roam free, swim in the cold river and ride horseback into the mountains. Her mother would bribe her with the promise of sopapillas on their day trips to Taos as they visited galleries and museums. She moved to Taos permanently in 1984 and was completely immersed in the history, community, art and landscape.

Cynthia felt fortunate to know and represent many artists in the two galleries she owned, the first in Enid, Oklahoma and the second in Taos (Taos Mosaic in Yucca Plaza). She enjoyed her relationships with artists and educating visitors about the history of the area. She felt that Taos was accepting of her independent spirit. Her family and friends describe her as immeasurably  generous, supportive, spirited, well-read, big hearted, opinionated and a staunch democrat. She was one of a kind.

She is survived by two daughters, Marti Gastineau ( husband Mike) and Ceily Levy, a son Ken Gordhamer (wife Penni), 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. She did not want a funeral but asked that a party take place in her honor. Family and friends will gather in that spirit next summer. If you wish to make a donation in her name, she asked that you support the Shared Table in Taos, an organization that distributes food commodities, basic health care items, school supplies and other essentials to those in need. You can donate through PayPal online at  elpueblitoumc.org or mail a check to Shared Table, P.O. Box 1302, El Prado, NM 87529.   Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home, Taos.  To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com