Cindy Province

Cindy Lyn Province, RN, BSN, MSN, CCRN, MA. May 16, 1959 - Feb 12, 2010. Beloved wife of Dr. Stanley A. Sakabu for nearly 24 years, and mother of four sons: Clay Province Sakabu, Jimmy Province Sakabu, John Province Sakabu and Tom Province Sakabu. Those who remain to mourn her passing include father John Province and stepmother Rose of Caledonia, Missouri; two sisters, Tracy Reynolds and husband Tom of Wellsville, Kansas; Penny Province and husband Jon Emanuel of Denver, Colorado; niece Rachel Wenenn and nephew Seth Wenenn of Kansas; uncle Tom Montgomery and wife Linda of Caledonia, Missouri; aunt Alice McConnell of West Fork, Arkansas; father-in-law Fred Sakabu of Saugus, California; brother-in-law Roy Sakabu and his wife Donna of Sacramento, California and their children, Andrew and Timothy; brother-in-law Ed Sakabu and his wife Lisa of Saugus, California and their children Sammi and Lexi; and many other relatives and friends who will sadly miss her.

In addition to her mother, Cindy was preceded in death by her grandparents Irvin and Ida Montgomery, Marion and Jennie Province, and her mother-in-law, Kumiko Sakabu.

The name Cindy means "bearer of light," which she vigorously achieved throughout her life. Born in Santa Ana, CA, but raised in Flat River, MO she served as a neurosurgical critical care nurse immediately after nursing school, and moved with her husband to San Diego where he finished his education and she expanded her horizons into cardiac, general critical care, long-term and outpatient nursing. There, she expanded her passion for social and political issues, and on return to the St. Louis area, championed grassroots conservative resurgences including the Missouri Baptist Convention, where she served as an Executive Board Member, and the Republican Party, eventually serving as a Missouri delegate to the Republican National Convention in San Diego. She also carried the Olympic torch in 1996, home-schooled her four sons, served as a Trustee of the Southeastern Baptist Seminary, Midwest Baptist Seminary, was a Commission Member of the Missouri Baptist Convention Christian Life Commission.

Cindy was a member of the Dardenne Baptist Church after moving to Defiance, Missouri. She and her family were also active members of the First Baptist Church of Crystal City previously and the First Baptist Church of Harvester. She was the legislative director and a registered volunteer lobbyist of Families for Home Education, and was very active in the home school movement. She had a strong sense for US national defense, and served as First Lieutenant in the St. Charles Composite Squadron of the Missouri Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. Cindy received her B.A. in Nursing and Psychology from Saint Louis University in 1981, an M.A. in Medical Surgical Nursing from Saint Louis University in 1985, and a M.A. in Bioethics from Trinity International University in 2004, and started work on a PhD degree at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Cindy was a co-founder and Associate Director of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Missouri. Although her nursing passion was in neurosurgical critical care, she filled other nursing roles and was employed at Barnes Hospital, St. Mary?s Hospital, and had worked at several hospitals in the San Diego region. She had instructed many nursing students through her work at Chamberlain College of Nursing (formerly Deaconess), Mineral Area Community College, Jefferson College, St. Louis University and St. John's Mercy Medical Center.

Cindy was an advocate for severely brain-injured persons and is the author of several publications on Vegetative State and studied at The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London, United Kingdom. She published in the United States and internationally. Cindy served as the Vaccine Task Force chairperson for the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF), a non-profit consumer protection group, and on the US Food and Drug Administration?s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), the committee responsible for formulating the annual flu shots given nationally. Cindy has been active in moral and social concerns and in public policy, serving over the years as a lobbyist, legislative director, chairman of a political action committee and providing consultation services to conservative and pro-family political candidates. She served for six years on the Missouri Baptist Convention's Christian Life Commission and served on the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board and as a trustee at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.

Cindy enjoyed restoring and decorating old houses and was also a Master Gardener. Cindy will be remembered as a loving and adored wife and mother, a dearly loved daughter and sister, and a loyal and caring friend. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to the Cindy Lyn Province Living Trust at College America Care of IFG Advisors, 10411 Clayton Rd. Suite 207, St. Louis, MO 63131

Funeral services were conducted Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 2 PM at the DeClue Chapel with Rev. Huebert Newman officiating. Serving as pallbearers were Roy Sakabu, Jon Emanuel, Paul Montgomery, Clay Swaringim, Scott Hinkle and Seth Wenenn.

Interment and final prayers were held at Caledonia Methodist Cemetery. All arrangements were entrusted to the care and direction of the DeClue Family Funeral Home.

A Memorial service was held Friday, February 19, 2010 at 7 PM at the Pillar in the Valley located at 229 Chesterfield Business Parkway, Chesterfield, MO 63005.