Biography: Cynthia Vassar Wolfe, a champion for the underdog and a visionary ahead of her time, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2025, at the age of 87. Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on August 19, 1937, to Colonel Henry Paul Wolfe and Jean Jackmon, Cynthia was the middle child of three sisters. Growing up in Fort Smith, Arkansas, her early years were filled with rich family history and a love for exploration. At the age of 13, her father, a distinguished World War II officer, moved the family to Germany, where Cynthia would later reflect on the deep impact of witnessing the consequences of war and the strength of human resilience.

Her father’s military service shaped Cynthia’s lifelong passion for history, particularly World War II. She preserved his legacy through a remarkable book documenting his letters and his experiences during the war, capturing a unique view of history that was later shared with the world through Walter Cronkite’s “Letters from WWII.”
Cynthia’s professional journey was groundbreaking, beginning with her determination to pursue a legal career in an era when such opportunities were limited for women. After earning a degree from Baylor University, Cynthia moved to New York and later to Dallas, Texas, where she became a legal secretary.

She later joined the Arkansas Prison Reform Commission in the 1960s, where she helped to implement educational programs for inmates and served as the first woman parole officer in the state. Her empathy and commitment to justice shone through her work, especially in her interactions with death row inmates, many of whom came to regard her as a compassionate and transformative figure in their lives.

One of the most notable prisoners whose life she touched was Jerry Johnson, a member of the "Rockefeller 13" who later became a prominent minister. A card addressed to “Queen Cynthia,” signed by several inmates, including Johnson, remained a treasured keepsake in her scrapbooks.

In 1972, after her prison reform work concluded, Cynthia joined Fairfield Communities as Budget Director and Assistant to the President. The job brought her to Fairfield Bay on Greers Ferry Lake, where she created a magical childhood for her daughter. Their home had floor-to-ceiling windows, a baby grand piano, and a view of the lake that inspired a lifelong love of nature and music. Cynthia became the musical heart of the community, providing piano accompaniment for local dinner theater performances and creating cherished bedtime memories with the gentle strains of Beethoven’s Für Elise.

Later, she reunited with former prison commission colleague Jim Guy Tucker, and joined him at the law firm Mitchell, Williams, and Selig. There, as a paralegal, she distinguished herself as a master of organization, working on major corporate transactions and fraud investigations. When Tucker became governor, he appointed Cynthia to his administration—where she coordinated the "Capital for a Day" program and served as liaison to Emergency Services, Veterans Affairs, and Military Operations.

But it was her role as a mother and her relationships with family that truly defined Cynthia. She was the glue that held her family together and was a source of endless love and support. Her daughter Lauren, who grew up surrounded by Cynthia’s wisdom, values, and compassion, was her greatest source of pride. Cynthia’s deep connection to her family, including her sisters Lynn Vest and Jean, and her many nieces, nephews, and extended family members, brought her joy in every season of life.

Cynthia Vassar Wolfe was not defined by any one title—parole officer, secretary, paralegal, advocate, mother—but rather by her fierce integrity, tireless compassion, and unshakable sense of justice. She saw dignity where others saw shame, potential where others saw problems. She lived boldly, served selflessly, and loved deeply.
She leaves behind a life’s work of change, a rich legacy of relationships, and a daughter who carries her spirit forward.

Cynthia, your music, your wisdom, and your fierce love will echo forever. We love you. We thank you. We remember you.

Cynthia was preceded in death by her parents, Judge Henry Paul Wolfe and Jean Jackmon Wolfe; her stepmother, Ruth Wolfe; her sister, Jean Wolfe; her stepbrother, Alan Crump; her nephew, Chris Corley; and her niece, Kim Vest.
She is survived by her sister, Lynn Vest; her brother, Jim Paul Wolfe; her stepsister, Ginger Gramlich; her stepbrother, Lou Gramlich; and her daughter, Lauren Wolfe.

She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews: Chip, Deborah, Jane, Hunter, Harris, Jackman, Bliss Corley, Conrad, Nora, Emma, Garret Karsten, Ben Sizemore, John, Nathan Vest, Andrew and Alex Bell, Paark Wolfe, and Luke Gramlich.

A celebration of life will be held at Brave New Restaurant from 5 – 7pm on August 19, 2025, where family, friends, and colleagues will gather to honor Cynthia’s extraordinary life. For more details you can email her daughter at Lauren_Wolfe@yahoo.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Arkansas Paws for Prison Foundation at www.pawsinprison.org or mail checks to Arkansas Paws in Prison, 1032 Pike Avenue NLR, AR 72114. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com