Christe Kislia was born on April 11, 1947, to Harry and Helen Rose in Peoria, IL. She graduated from Fontbonne College with a Bachelor of Music Degree in May of 1969. Her post-college adventures began when she was set up on a blind date with her husband to be, Jerry Kislia. He quickly fell in love with this beautiful, motorcycle-riding, talented woman. They moved to Key West where Jerry was stationed in the Navy and began their lives together. They had 3 daughters, Marcy, Lisa, and Jill.
Sailing was a big passion for Christe. As Jerrys’ first mate and Mom extraordinaire, she made family time on the boat magical. Sailing to the Bahamas they explored islands, dove on sunken ships, and survived rough seas and harrowing storms together. Being together as a family mattered more than anything to Christe. She made sure Easter was celebrated even while at sea where she set up an Easter egg hunt on the beaches of Bimini! In the evenings Christe would cook up the days catch with one of her specialty recipes like conch fritters, conch salad or fish chowder.
When not sailing, Christe could be found teaching music class to elementary school students. As a Music Teacher at JC Mitchell, she was awarded Palm Beach County Teacher of the Year two times. She had a knack for inspiring and bringing out the good in every child, even those who faced tremendous life challenges. In addition to producing and directing the school musicals she used her artistic abilities to make the backdrops and costumes for her students. She worked tirelessly on these musicals knowing that they served as a great source of pride and opportunity for her students.
Holidays and celebrations were her specialty. She had a way of bringing family and friends together for joyous occasions. From wedding anniversaries to surprise parties to her famous Halloween parties, holiday fun was serious business if Christe was in charge. She just knew how to celebrate and commemorate life’s special moments.
Christe was known for having many friends, whom she treated like gold. Her workout buddies (Sisters in Sweat as she fondly referred to them) meant the world to her. She would bring her holiday spirit to the gym always dressing up and even bringing holiday decorations to her classes.
When not at the gym, Christe could be seen riding her festive trike around the Harbor East neighborhood. Decked with sunflowers, pinwheels and her dog Buoy, she was a like a ray of sunshine rolling down the road. She loved to smile and wave at people as she rode by. During the holidays she would spread her holiday cheer by riding around and handing out candy to friends and strangers, to brighten their day. She loved everyone and would always take a moment to make people feel special.
She will be missed immensely by so many, but mostly by her daughters and 7 grandchildren (Collin 19, Kevin 17, Scotty 15, Isla 13, Reef 11, Ella 8 and Oliver 7). Family was everything to Christe and she adored spending time together, never missing an opportunity to let everyone know just how much she loved them.
The funeral will be held on May 1, 2024 at 11am at St. Joan Of Arc Catholic Church
Reception to follow at: 1900 Cocoanut Road, Boca Raton, FL 33432
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