Obituary: Cynthia Ann Downing Tanous
Cynthia Ann Downing Tanous, 87, Pioneer of Maine Adult Education, Dies
Greene, Maine – Cynthia Ann Downing Tanous, a lifelong educator and community advocate, died peacefully at her home on September 3, 2026. She was 87.
Born on August 19, 1939, in Ayer, Massachusetts, Tanous moved to Mercer, Maine, when she was six as her father, William Albert Downing, pursued his dream of owning a farm. She grew up in a one-room schoolhouse, where she completed her elementary education before enrolling at Skowhegan High School, from which she graduated in 1957.
After high school, Tanous attended the University of Maine in Orono, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English cum laude in 1961. While still a student she married fellow Orono resident Charles Tanous on July 3, 1961. The couple moved several times as Charles advanced in his career in education, serving as principal and superintendent in Buckfield, Peru, and later as superintendent in Van Buren, where Tanous began teaching high‑school completion courses and later administered a program at Loring Air Force Base.
In 1974 the family returned to North Turner, where Tanous worked as a Home School Coordinator. She organized a Parent Advisory Committee that helped secure a local high‑school completion program for River Valley students, a venture that led to the creation of the River Valley Adult and Community Education Program. Her work in adult education continued as she served as Adult Education Coordinator for five years, then as a consultant for the Maine Department of Education’s Adult Education Division, and later as Director of Adult Education for the Mechanic Falls/Poland area. In 1993 she oversaw the consolidation of several regional adult and community education programs, a task she undertook until her retirement.
A founder of the nonprofit Educational Skills Inc. in the late 1980s, Tanous helped evaluate programs, manage a learning center, and support adult literacy and improvisational theater initiatives. She later passed leadership of the organization to her colleague Larinda Meade.
Beyond her professional achievements, Tanous was known for her artistic flair and love of travel. She painted acrylics, hunted antiques, and redecorated interiors. The couple explored Egypt and Greece in 1983, visited China in 1985, and spent many winters in Florida with her husband and friend Dick.
Her first husband, Charles, died in June 2007 after a battle with non‑Hodgkin lymphoma. Tanous married Richard Marx, a longtime friend, in 2009; the marriage lasted eight years until his death in 2017. She also lost her daughter, Laura Tanous‑Marshall, to COVID‑19 in December 2021.
Tanous is survived by her brother Peter Downing and his wife Diane; brother‑in‑law Thomas Tanous and his wife Esther; sons William Tanous (spouse Christine) and Mark Tanous (spouse Kelly); daughters Andrea Tanous Wilson (spouse Joseph) and Catherine Tanous; and a host of grandchildren, including Ashley Terwilliger (spouse Bob, great‑granddaughter Audrey), Victoria Monson (spouse Will), Catherine Tanous, Scott Marshall, Hunter Marshall, Haid Tanous, and Marla Eshleman (spouse Will). She was also deeply cherished by her friend Tammy Sue Coburn.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 10, at 11 a.m. at St. Philips Church, 2365 Turner Road, Auburn, Maine. Arrangements are managed by Albert & Burpee Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 253 Pine Street, Lewiston, Maine (207‑782‑7201). In lieu of flowers, family requests donations to the North Turner East Burial Ground, addressed to Andrea Wilson, 25 Main Street, Greene, Maine.
Tanous’s life was marked by a steadfast commitment to education, family, and community—a legacy that will continue to inspire those she touched.
