Cyndy Curry ’63
As a clinical geneticist, Cyndy Curry ’63 has honed the ability to recognize patterns amid complex clinical presentations. She intends to continue Mount Holyoke’s pattern of preparing students for a complex world through a gift from her IRA to establish a charitable gift annuity — an act that both benefits the College and provides her with steady payments.
A class that Cyndy Curry ’63 described as “life-changing” was worth the early wake-up call.
7 am walks around Mount Holyoke’s Lower Lake and in the surrounding woods for Professor Bessie Boyd’s ornithology course didn’t just inspire Cyndy’s love of birdwatching — they also honed her ability to spot similarities in the smallest details.
“You observe how birds fly, their colors, their songs,” Cyndy explained. “Those are some of the same skills I use as a clinical geneticist to recognize patterns.”
Raised in the Upper Midwest, Cyndy was drawn to Mount Holyoke for its strong science reputation. Despite an early mishap in biology class — “I had managed to put the frog’s stomach in its chest” — Mount Holyoke and the tutelage of faculty like Professor Boyd gave Cyndy the “internal grit and determination” to excel. That resilience carried her through Yale School of Medicine and into the fledgling field of clinical genetics at University of California, San Francisco, where she is now a distinguished professor emerita of pediatrics. Cyndy continues to work full-time in clinical genetics at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresco, California, with a growing team of genetic counselors and geneticists.
Cyndy acknowledged that navigating a cutting-edge medical field as a woman wasn’t always rosy. During tough times, she leaned on a Buddhist proverb, “Chop wood, carry water.” “It’s about putting one foot in front of the other and getting the job done,” she said. Using the same steady fortitude and eye for detail she developed at Mount Holyoke, Cyndy synthesizes disparate symptoms into diagnoses, helping young patients and their families make sense of their experiences.
“The science of genetics has evolved so dramatically,” Cyndy said. “Fifty years ago, there were no answers for these families. But increasingly, we can make diagnoses, and, for some, there are treatments.”
Bringing families of patients with genetic disorders together — helping them find their flock — remains one of Cyndy’s greatest joys. “Participating in a patient’s journey, sometimes over decades, is almost as important as the technological advances,” she noted. Beyond her practice, she advocates for families as part of support groups, such as the Jansen de Vries Syndrome Foundation, where she serves on the medical advisory board.
Cyndy also champions Mount Holyoke’s mission through her support of the College. Naming her alma mater as a beneficiary of her retirement account was an easy decision. In 2023, she used a qualified charitable distribution from her IRA to fund a charitable gift annuity, securing steady payments while minimizing the tax impact of required minimum distributions. She also appreciates how this gift enables her to make a greater impact for future Mount Holyoke students.
Cyndy is proud that Mount Holyoke continues to foster students’ passions and prepare them for a complex world, just as it did for her. By helping to secure the College’s future, she is allowing others to find their flock, defy societal expectations and soar.