Lucinda “Cindy” (Ferninger) Arnold, 78, passed away on February 14, 2026, following a brief illness.

Born on May 15, 1947, to Clyde John and Bonnie Jeanne (Wise) Ferninger, Cindy grew up in Middlebury, Indiana. She graduated from Middlebury High School in 1965 and later attended Ball State University in Muncie. Cindy made her home in Muncie, where she worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant for many years, spending the majority of her career at the now-closed Hickory Creek, a residential facility for the developmentally disabled in Gaston, Indiana.

Cindy will be lovingly remembered by her son, Jeff Arnold (Denise); her daughter, Kate Arnold; her grandchildren, Brittany, Zack, and Timothy; and her great-grandchildren, Brantley, Aviana, and Jonah.

Cindy’s sharp wit, sarcastically humorous outlook on life, iconic laugh, and goofy faces made her a joy to be around. She passed along an excessive sense of indecisiveness to her family; pretended to be interested in game night at her son’s house — where she consistently beat the pants off of everyone at Cards Against Humanity; and cherished spending time with her granddaughter and great-grandchildren in North Carolina. She loved vacationing at the beaches of Delaware (yes, Delaware!) and was always happy to be anywhere that wasn’t Muncie.

Cindy could often be talked into taking a spur-of-the-moment road trip in search of great — and sometimes questionable — places to eat, including some of her favorites such as Gene’s Root Beer, the Essenhaus, Ivanhoe’s, the Maid-Rite, Bethany Blues, and Muriale’s.

In true Cindy fashion, her final laugh came in the early hours between Friday the 13th and Valentine’s Day — a memorable exit those who knew and loved her will never forget.

Cindy was known to say, “Take me out back and shoot me,” and “Throw my body in a ditch somewhere,” but against her wishes, a celebration of life will be held at a later date, once the family can make up its collective mind.

In lieu of flowers, Cindy would want you to enjoy a meal at your favorite restaurant — dessert first!”