Cynthia Marie Brantly Pierce
April 15, 1964 – January 26, 2026
Cynthia Marie Brantly Pierce passed away peacefully on January 26th after a yearslong battle with cancer. She was at peace and surrounded by her loved ones. Cindy was a loving and devoted mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She will be missed dearly by her beloved family and by the incredible community she built in Berkeley and beyond.
Cindy dedicated her career to electing Democratic pro-choice women to federal, state, and local public office. It should come as no surprise to those who knew her that in lieu of flowers, she has requested donations to three organizations she was devoted to: Close the Gap, Flip the Vote, and Planned Parenthood. If you would like to give a gift in her memory, please follow the links below.
Susannah Delano | Executive Director, Close the Gap
“By doubling the number of women serving in our State Legislature in just the last few years, Close the Gap is defining the next chapter of California’s politics. That wouldn’t have been possible without the early contributions Cynthia made to our campaign for parity.
For my first two years as Executive Director, Cindy and I carpooled together weekly to team meetings in Palo Alto, and spent countless more hours collaborating on the phone, stuffing envelopes in her beautiful home, and brainstorming our way to raise the profile of our scrappy campaign, everywhere from the East Bay to the Redding Rancheria to San Diego.
Cynthia was tenacious, passionate, thorough, ambitious, steady, and kind. Her professional partnership meant the world to me, and it made the difference to grow Close the Gap’s base and land our call to action around increasing women’s representation on a critical mass of radars.
Cynthia will be an inspiration to me forever. In the spirit of her commitment and in honor of her memory, Close the Gap will fight the next chapter of our historic push for parity—in California’s Legislature and beyond—to new venues where impatient women organized around a goal can speed up the pace of progress! And, as Cynthia would want, we’ll have fun doing it."
Mary Hughes | Founder, Close the Gap
“Gender parity in the California legislature is a reality today because Cynthia and our colleagues believed it was possible and made it so. Cynthia had the gift of good energy, and she used it in service to our cause. Volunteers multiplied and donors dug deeper because she asked. Her dedication, expertise and contagious laughter lifted us all. Cynthia found joy
in progress and in the sisterhood we created to achieve it. She was simply the best.”
Eleanor Moses | Community Activist
“I had the pleasure of working with Cynthia fundraising for Progressive Pro-Choice women both in our local community and at Close the Gap. She was always the consummate team player, deeply conscientious about the work, and extremely thoughtful and engaging every step of the way. Cynthia was a bright light, and a real joy to work with. She will be missed deeply.”
Elissa Gershon | Advisory Board Vice-Chair, Flip the Vote
“Flip the Vote is a volunteer-powered nonprofit that supports grassroots voter engagement organizations in selected states to help win key elections and strengthen long-term civic participation in underinvested communities. The Flip the Vote team is incredibly moved and honored that Cindy chose our partners to receive donations in her honor.
When Cindy joined our Flip the Vote team as a "super host" several years ago, her professional experience as a political fundraiser became a valuable asset to our organization. She brought enthusiasm, perseverance, creativity, and talent to her endeavors, hosting a 60th birthday fundraiser for Flip the Vote's partner groups, recruiting several other friends to host events which she helped organize, and reaching out to practically everyone she has ever known to support our effort. Flip the Vote's success depends on volunteer power, and Cindy's confidence in our work and doggedness in helping us to achieve our goals continue to inspire our whole team.
Personally, I am so grateful that Cindy chose to spend her precious time and energy these last few years working with us, and that in doing so, we reconnected and strengthened our friendship. Thank you, Cindy, and all of you who support the work of Flip the Vote in her honor; our goal of achieving a more just, equitable, and inclusive democracy is attainable because of people like you.”