Cindy Esser was recognized as a woman who would always see "the big picture." And for the Pittsburgh woman, the big picture was the revitalization of her beloved South Side neighborhood, where she was born and raised and lived her life. Cindy Esser, past president of the South Side Local Development Co., died from complications of cancer on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2002, at her home. She was 51. Mrs. Esser and her husband, Cyril, opened Essers Flowers on Carson Street in 1982. The business had its beginnings amid the decline of the steel industry and the South Side business district. "But that didn't faze Cindy," said Albert Neri, a longtime friend. "She not only had a vision for her flower shop but for her street, her neighborhood and the city. And her work during the past two decades allowed her vision to blossom." Born and raised on the South Side, where her mother, Virginia Michalowski, still lives, Cynthia Theresa Michalowski graduated from South High School and took several business courses at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was employed as a secretary. Her knack for working with flowers was apparent when as a young woman she arranged flowers on the altar of St. Paul Monastery and Retreat Center, and she would receive countless compliments for her creativity. In 1968, she met Cyril Esser, a young banker from the city's Allentown neighborhood. "I had a schoolboy crush on Cindy. It took some time, but we were married in 1975," he said. "In 1984, I left the bank and joined Cindy and her mother at the shop. I handled the business end and Cindy handled the creative end. Even in our business, Cindy was kind and giving and always put other people ahead of her." Caroline Boyce, executive director the American Institute of Architects, said Mrs. Esser loved the South Side. "She was born and raised on the South Side and went to school and church on the South Side. She had a lot of energy and wore many hats," Boyce said. "She had the charisma of being able to bring groups together to work for a common goal." Howard "Chip" Berger, who preceded Mrs. Esser as president of the South Side Local Development Co., called Mrs. Esser's involvement with the South Side altruistic. "There was never any self-aggrandizement. It was always about working toward a better community and a better city," he said. In 1994, Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy appointed Mrs. Esser to the city's planning commission, calling her a bridge between the old and new South Side. Mrs. Esser is survived by her husband, Cyril Esser; sisters Judith Bilsky of Carrick and Susan Bachner of Mt. Oliver, Allegheny County; her mother, Virginia Michalowski of the South Side; and an uncle, Frank Kowalski of Baldwin, Allegheny County. She was preceded in death by her father, Felix Michalowski. Friends will be received from 4 to 9 p.m. today and noon to 9 p.m. Friday in the John G. Gmiter Funeral Home, 119 S. 15th St., South Side. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul of the Cross, 148 Monastery Ave., South Side.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---