Cynthia Weiss Parr

Cynthia Weiss Parr, age 66, died peacefully on March 3, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer. She is survived by her husband, Rabbi Jordan Parr and their daughters, Rebecca Hannah Parr and Sarah Emily (Semyon) Starobin, along with two grandchildren, Reuven Caleb and Shira Liora Starobin. She is also survived by her mother, Joan Weiss and her sisters, Barbara (Henry) Kimmel and Dr. Susan (Dr. Raphael) Orenstein, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her father, Arnold Weiss, z”l. Cynthia was a graduate of the Lausanne School in Memphis, Tennessee, where she excelled in mathematics. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Industrial Engineering at the University of Michigan, specializing in ergonomics. Following graduation, Cynthia worked as a consultant, redesigning control rooms of nuclear power plants following the Three Mile Island meltdown. Cynthia and Jordan married in 1985. The following year, they moved to Dallas, where Cynthia worked in the Defense Division of Texas Instruments. Shortly after leaving Texas Instruments, she opened a home-based calligraphy business and soon gave birth to Rebecca. After moving to Augusta, Georgia, in 1990, Cynthia worked as an AutoCAD instructor, teaching handicapped adults a marketable skill. In Augusta, she gave birth to Sarah. After moving back to Dallas in 2002, Cynthia worked various jobs, such as being a personal assistant and an intake manager for The Nanny Agency. But her true passion lay in volunteer work. In High School, Cynthia was President of MeFTY, the youth group of Temple Israel in Memphis. She also was a founding Board Member of The Vogel Alcove, helping to establish its teen summer camp program and a Board Member of the Women of Reform Judaism, recognized for her innovative work in designing and marketing synagogue gift shops. In recent years, Cynthia traveled with Jordan to his various pulpits and has especially enjoyed traveling abroad to places such as Prague, Barcelona, the Cayman Islands, and Israel. They also went on a private heritage tour to Poland, where they visited Auschwitz and her great-grandparents’ village in Poland. A special note of gratitude goes to the Legacy at Home Hospice community of nurses, aids, and caregivers, including Rabbi Holly Cohen, Heather Rey, and Faith Retsky; they made Cynthia’s final days peaceful and fulfilling. We also want to thank our dear friend Karen Mantel, who dedicated hours of her time to sit with Cynthia over the pqst months. A thank you also goes to Andrea and Robert McDaniel, dear friends who have accompanied Cynthia on her final journey. Arrangements are entrusted to Dallas Jewish Funerals. A graveside service will be held at the Congregation Beth Torah Garden at Restland Memorial Park at 11:00 am on Sunday, March 8, 2026, Rabbi Sydni Rubenstein officiating. A Shiva Minyan will be held at Congregation Beth Torah at 7:00 PM that evening. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Legacy Senior Communities, Congregation Beth Torah, or a charity of your choice.

Cynthia Weiss Parr

August 4, 1959 - March 3, 2026