Grossmont Grad Slain at Oregon Mall Recalled as ‘Giving, Generous Woman’

Updated at 11:30 p.m. Dec. 12, 2012

Grossmont High School friends and alumni Wednesday mourned Cynthia Ann Yuille, a 1976 graduate of the school killed in Tuesday’s mall shooting in Oregon.

“Cindy was a very giving and generous woman,” said classmate David Peters of Spring Valley. “In her work as a hospice nurse, she accompanied many ill people in their final hours of life, keeping them comfortable, and calming their fears.  In this way, she was an open heart, and she touched others’ hearts.”

Peters said she loved the outdoors, and she and her husband, Robert Yuille, spent time backpacking and camping in the wilderness.  

“In high school, Cindy had many friends, as she was so humble and kind,” he said.  “Most friends remember her for her goofiness, as she loved to laugh at herself and at others. Cindy will be missed by many.”

Yuille, 54, of northeast Portland was one of two people killed in the shooting near Portland, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

By midnight Wednesday, a Facebook page devoted to the memory of the two victims had nearly 4,400 Likes.

“A former Grossmont High School classmate remembers her by her maiden name—Cindy Waddell. Her friend said Yuille was active in the El Cajon school’s theater when she attended,” said an NBC San Diego report Wednesday.

According to the Oregonian newspaper, “Yuille was a hospice nurse who earned her degree from San Diego State University. She moved to Portland from California in the early 1990s. She has a 23-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old stepson.”

Catherine Martin, a spokeswoman for the Grossmont Union High School District, told Patch: “The family has been very clear in its desire for privacy as they mourn their loss. We intend to honor that wish and allow them to honor their daughter, wife, mother and friend as they see fit.

“From what we've read of her adult life through this tragedy, she was one remarkable and caring woman who had a true zest for life.”

The gunman was identified Wednesday as 22-year-old Jacob Tyler Roberts, who was armed himself with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, authorities said.

In a statement, her family said: “Cindy was everybody's friend. She was a wonderful person who was very caring and put others first.”

Kaiser Permanente, her employer, was quoted as saying: “Cindy was a beloved caregiver for the kind and compassionate support she provided for patients and families at times of impending loss and need.”

A second victim Tuesday was Steven Forsyth, 45, of West Linn, OR, whose  LinkedIn page says he attended University of San Diego and majored in business administration with a minor in political science.

Peters, the 1976 alumni coordinator, shared a photo of Yuille from the yearbook.

At Grossmont, the yearbook says, she went by the nicknames Inky, Maiden Weenie and Waddle. She took part in drama, swimming and spirit, and was news editor of Foothill Echoes, the student newspaper.

Her favorite quotation came from Philippians in the New Testament: “I have learned the secret of facing plenty, hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.”  

Did you know Cindy?  Remember her in the comments below or write ken.stone@patch.com.