Cristia Jeane Small, a longtime member of the accounting and student affairs staff, died on July 17 at the age of 66. A resident of Gambier, she worked at Kenyon from 1993 to 2016, retiring after more than 23 years of service.
Born in Mount Vernon to Fred and Lou (Gorsuch) Cornet, Small was married to the late Michael W. Small. She was the mother of two children, Tiffany Burke and Michael Small, and had four grandchildren: Bradyn and Gavin Burke, and Alex and Amber Small. She also is survived by her sister, Cathy Conkling, and two step-grandchildren, Skyler Abbott and Zachary Lumley.
"Over the years, Cristia has bestowed on each of us unmatched kindness and compassion," budget analyst Bonnie Yarman said. "In return, we applaud and praise her as a respected colleague and treasured friend."
Her daughter, Tiffany Burke, said Small particularly enjoyed her time working in student affairs.
“She loved working with those kids,” she said. “She just always wanted to make them happy and give them what they needed.”
It was part of her character to support others, and she and her husband — who died less than two months before her — made a loving pair, Burke said.
“They loved us with everything they had. … They molded us into who we were,” she said. “They taught us how to be strong, that you had to stand up for what you believed in.”
Small was a member of the Colonial City Moose Lodge #2555 of Mount Vernon. She enjoyed playing pickleball, shopping with family and friends, and spending time at her home in The Villages, Florida.
Visitation and a memorial service took place July 19 for Small, who had cancer. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to the Hospice of North Central Ohio.