Cynthia Lynette Burnley

In Loving Memory of Cynthia Lynette Aust Burnley

November 23, 1970 – April 13, 2025

On a Sunday softened by spring’s hush and heaven’s light, Cynthia Lynette Aust Burnley, age fifty-four, slipped gently from the hands of time and into the eternal embrace of peace. A native daughter of Greenwood, Mississippi, she born there on November 23, 1970, to Ruthy Rae McCain and the late Clarence Aust. Cynthia bore within her the quiet strength of Southern roots and the resilient, golden heart of her lineage.

Cynthia made her home in Rome, Georgia, where she walked her earthly path as a devoted wife, a nurturing mother, a steadfast daughter, a loyal sister, and a gentle friend to many. Her days were woven with both duty and delight. Cynthia gave many of her working hours to Shaw Industries, a steady hand in the world of carpet manufacturing, her labor echoing the rhythm of industry and care.

However, it was within her family circle that her light most brightly burned. Cynthia shared her life in loving union with her husband, Ricky Burnley, and loved spending time with her children Jonathan Burnley and  Sandy Burnley and her grandchildren, Kalep Brock, Daisy Brock, Carson Brock, and Hazel Brock ; Her brother, Allen Aust, too, remained close to her heart, as did the memory of their father. 

Cynthia moved through this world with a soul tuned to selflessness, bearing the burdens of those she loved with a grace that asked for nothing in return. With quiet hands and a steadfast heart, she tended both her parents and her brother, softening the hard edges of their days, lightening their load with the gentleness of her care. In her, duty was not obligation, but a devotion, and a sacred melody played in the key of love.

Cynthia’s heart was bound to the Church of Christ, where she found her spiritual home and deepened her faith in the love of the Savior. Her devotion was not loud, but lived, seen in the kindness she showed, the burdens she helped carry, the prayers she whispered in the privacy of her soul.

A woman of cheerful enterprise, Cynthia possessed an outgoing nature that made friends of strangers. She had a keen eye for treasures tucked away in flea markets and online corners, and Facebook Marketplace was her playground, where she delighted in the barter of the curious and the cherished. In these humble joys, she revealed a spirit that found beauty in the overlooked, and wonder in the ordinary.

Her passing leaves a hush upon those who knew her; an ache, yes, but also a reverberating warmth. For though her voice has quieted here, the music of her life plays on in those who remain.

Services to celebrate the life of this gentle-hearted soul will be held on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the chapel of Good Shepherd Funeral Home, located at 2750 Shorter Avenue, Rome, Georgia 30165. Visitation will begin at noon, with the funeral service to follow at 2:00 PM.

The Good Shepherd Funeral Home of Rome, Georgia, is honored to be entrusted with these sacred rites and remembrances.

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