LEXINGTON:     Cynthia Kim Hoats vonLehe passed away peacefully at her home in Lexington Monday night, February 5, 2024 under hospice care, surrounded by her family and friends, after a courageous battle with renal cancer and Multiple Sclerosis.  She was 63.

"Cyndi" was born in Colleton County September 10, 1960.   She graduated from Walterboro High School in 1978, and then attended MUSC, where she received her training as a Licensed Practical Nurse.  She earned her license in 1983 and worked as an LPN for thirty years, finally retiring in 2013 from Providence Hospital in Columbia.  She loved to read, and enjoyed antiquing and strolling on the beach hunting for treasures.

Cyndi is survived by her children Amanda Melling of Lexington, John A. vonLehe III of Charleston, and Ashton vonLehe of Mulberry, FL.  There are six grandchildren:  William and Jordan Melling, John A. vonLehe IV, Hailey Helms, and Elijah and Cynthia Bush.  She leaves behind her mother Marcella Leal Baker of Walterboro, and her siblings Timothy Baker (Cyndi) of Fuquay-Varina, NC, Reginald Baker (Cathy) of Beaufort, James C. Baker III (Heather) of Greenville, Renee Hickman (Cary) of Charleston, and Valeria Mabry (Tim) of Walterboro.  There is a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family.  In addition to her father Clarence O. Hoats, Cyndi was preceded in death by both sets of her grandparents, and by her step-father James C. Baker Jr.

A Rosary Service will be held Saturday morning, February 24, 2024 at 10:00 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Walterboro, followed by a Memorial Mass at 10:30. At the conclusion of the service, the family will process to Live Oak Cemetery for the the Rite of Committal, where Cynthia will be laid to rest with family members that have preceded her in death.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made either the MS Foundation (msfocus.org) or to The Ocean Cleanup (theoceancleanup.com), or simply plant a tree in her memory through nationalforests.com.