Christine K Brelin

Christine was born October 1, 1943 in Highland Park, Michigan to the late Richard William and Geraldine (Geisler) Powers. She graduated from St. Mary of Redford School, Detroit, Michigan in 1961. She is a graduate of the University of Akron and received her Masters in Teaching through Marygrove College, Michigan. Her career in teaching began at R.G. Drage Career Technical Center before transferring into Massillon City Schools for several years and ultimately retiring from Canton City Schools in 2009. She is most remembered for her dedication to improving the teaching profession for small group instructors. In the early 1990s she organized and formed the Small Group Instructors Union serving as their president. Her work continues to ensure fair wages, benefits, and working conditions for teachers in small group settings and represents her passion to fairness and advocacy for others.

Christine enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and is fondly remembered for her spiritedness, humor and love of music. She valued the environment and animals often giving to charities related to these. Christine enjoyed gardening and was proud of her gardens she tended at her Canal Fulton home and she kept that same joy working in the gardens at St. Ed's.

Besides her parents, Christine is preceded in death by her sister, Diana Mullane of Oscoda, Michigan. She is survived by her children, Laura Brelin and David Brelin, her sister Lynda (Mark) Pietka, brother Richard (Denise) Powers, sister Barbara (Rick) Lilleyman and several nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be celebrated at 1:30PM Tuesday, December 2nd in the Chapel at The Village of St. Edward, 3125 Smith Rd in Fairlawn with Fr. Thomas Stock, officiant.

A Celebration of life will be held after the holidays (details to be shared at a later date). In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy can be made in her honor to The Village of St. Edward Foundation for the extraordinary care the staff have provided to her and her family over the numerous years she was a resident within their memory care unit: https://vsecommunities.org/st-edward-foundation/