Cyndilou 'Lou' Brignac

HAVERHILL - Cyndilou Brignac, 60, passed away peacefully in her home in Wiscasset, ME on January 3, 2025, surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous 5-year battle with Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer. She is leaving behind a legacy of love, strength, and pure kindness. She was a friend and lover of all– people, pets, plants, and everything under the sun. 

Cyndilou or “Lou” was born on July 14, 1964, to the late Dorothy Zlock and Lewis Carmichael. She was born and raised in Rockland, ME, graduating from Brunswick High School in the class of 1982. Lou had dreams of achieving her degree, but she fell in love instead and married her best friend, Pierre Brignac, in Brunswick on December 11, 1982. Together they raised three daughters in Haverhill, MA, where she went on to fulfill her ambitions of becoming a registered nurse, graduating from Middlesex in the class of 1998. 

Devoted nurse, she dedicated the greater part of her career to Holy Family Hospital formerly known as Merrimack Valley and finished her career as a home hospice nurse where she would help her patient’s receive, in her own words, the “kings exit.” She treated every patient like a family member and no matter where she was in the community, she would be recognized and remembered for her compassionate and meticulous care. She built long lasting relationships with those patients and their families, and was only a phone call away if they ever needed any kind of advice. Even when she wasn’t caring for her patients in the hospital, she was always an advocate for the health of her friends and family; calling doctor’s offices, bringing friends to appointments, cooking meals for their family, and offering support of any kind. If you needed her, she would be there as fast as her car would take her. 

Dedicated mother, she raised her three daughters to be as strong, independent and outspoken as she always was. She engrained in her children the importance of being “above average” in a world of status quo. She instilled leadership values in every one of her girls, who all went on to have established careers helping others.  Although she was “the colonel,” she also had her fun-spirited side. If it was above 75 degrees, you could find her at the beach. She would be the first one in the water with her kids in tow.  Summers were filled with beaches, gardening, Frisbee, and ice cream runs. An avid athlete, she instilled her competitive spirit and love for the game in her daughters. If the Celtics or Patriots were on, she would be watching and criticizing the players every step of the way. Her children were her pride and joy. They were the second loves of her life… until her grandchildren came along. 

Lover of all animals, she raised many furry friends over the years. She had dreams of one day owning a large animal rescue barn on a big plot of land. That dream never came true, but she made sure she was surrounded by cats and dogs throughout every stage of her life.  She even had compassion for roadkill and would carry a shovel in her car so that she could move any animals who were left behind. 

She was diagnosed with Stage 4 inoperable Ovarian Cancer in May of 2019. The cancer was found incidentally after presenting with shortness of breath, she knew something was not quite right and she asked for imaging. They found lesions throughout her liver, ovary, and omentum. She received six cycles of chemotherapy immediately after being diagnosed and was bound and determined to “slay the beast.” Countless friends, family members, and patients from previous years helped fight alongside her, returning the compassion and support she had always given them. In November of 2023, she began having some strange symptoms that she described as “mini seizures,” and was found to have two tumors in her right parietal lobe. The surgeon was determined that he could resect it all and he did after her family and teal warriors gave her the confidence to move forward. Unfortunately, the beast wasn’t done with his handiwork and moved to her meninges in August of 2024. After radiation and multiple cycles of chemotherapy, she gave the beast one last punch and said no more. She was not going to let cancer take her life from her any longer. She decided on Christmas day with her family, that she was all done and it was her time to start hospice. She journeyed for 6 days and took her last breath surrounded by her loving family. The diagnosis was the biggest betrayal of her lifetime and stole precious years away from herself and the family, friends, and all those she left behind. 

Lou leaves behind a legacy of love, warmth, relentless spirit, and an unwavering commitment to helping others. She is survived by her best friend, Pierre Brignac and their beloved daughters and their spouses, Lacie and Chris Jones, Gillian and Brian Privitera, Hailey and Rob Stark, as well as her cherished grandchildren, Emily and Rachel Jones, Mallory DeCosta, Sienna and Santino Privitera, and Caelan and Lucy Stark. She also leaves behind her siblings Sharon Ristuccia, Ricky Freeman, Robbie Freeman, and Lisa Johnson and their spouses, as well as countless cousins, nieces, nephews and friends and her furballs Zola and Juicebox. 

Although she has passed, her contagious kindness and loving spirit will live on through all of the people she impacted over the years. She always wanted to brighten people’s days and would often donate money to a stranger unable to pay for groceries or pay for another family’s meal. In lieu of flowers, please consider to pay it forward in a random act of kindness in Lou’s memory.

Lou wished to have a gathering filled with fun, good music, light-hearted stories, and of course a bonfire. She requests her guests to dress in their most vibrant colors. Her Celebration of Life will be held on January 11, at 139 Woodman Road, New Gloucester, ME 04260 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Arrangements by Driscoll Funeral Home, Haverhill. For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com

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