Christine Melissa Little

After a long-fought battle, she left on her terms and went down swinging, with so much strength and determination. She now joins her beloved cats, Bandit, Bennie and Brady and her loving Father, Larry Little and Grandparents.

Christine, or, Criss, as she is affectionately known, was born on April 16th, 1969, in East York, Ontario, to Janis Ellinor (Robb) Little and Larry Ronald Little. She spent her childhood and early adult years living in Scarborough, Ontario and attended Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute.

In 1997, she met the father of her children, Jay Pierson, and in 1998, they were blessed with Twins, Austin and Justyne. Together they embraced family life and of the raising of the children, along with Grandma Janis, in her childhood home on Golfhaven Drive in Scarborough, Ontario.

In 2011, she made a move to Hamilton, Ontario and started a new life with Scott Solimka. Together they lived, loved and laughed, along with their cat, Peppermint, who misses her now heavenly caregiver. Scott stayed by her side, throughout her surgeries, procedures and treatments and he remained steadfast for her until she took her last breath.

During the pandemic in early 2020, she proudly joined the Hamilton Health Sciences, working at a satellite office for the hospital for those moved out and requiring a place to live. It was a hard but rewarding job that she embraced until becoming sick in the spring of 2022.

Criss will be remembered for her love of all games, she was a true competitor. An enthusiastic Softball Player, through her teens, traveling throughout Southern Ontario for Tournaments. Also playing with teams during her early adult years, taking the Twins along. She was a huge fan of the Boston Bruins hockey team and the Philadelphia Eagles football team. We were all routing for them to win the Superbowl for her.

Criss had a passion for all genres of music, and theatre and indulged in classic rock. She even took the lead part in her Junior Highschool, Tecumseh Sr, production of Annie, playing Miss Hannigan. A wonderful performance by a true firecracker.

She will be so dearly missed and fondly remembered as a loving Daughter, Mother, Wife, Sister, Niece, Aunt and Cousin. We will also miss her text signature sign off ‘Xox’.

Criss is survived by her mother, Janis Little, her spouse, Scott Solimka, her children, Austin and Justyne Pierson, her sister, Deborah Bodnar (Mike), her sister, Kimberly Little (Steve), her brother, Stephen Johnson. Christine was blessed with a large extended family, including her aunt Madeleine Cameron, stepmothers, Hazel Little and Pat Cascione, cousins Laura and Scott Cameron, nephews; Johnathan (Rebecca), Stephen, Konnor, nieces; Myranda, Olivia, Zoe, Quinn, Teaghan, and by the Johnson, Pierson, Cascione and Brooksbank family, who are all feeling the sorrow of her loss.

She is preceded in death by her father Larry Little, and her grandparents, Thomas Robb and Margaret Buchanan Robb, Reginald Little and Marjorie Curtis Little.

We will be forever grateful to the wonderful team of Oncology and GI Medicine on Ward C3 at the Juravinski Hamilton Health Sciences Hospital. They worked tirelessly to provide so much care and support to Criss as she battled her disease for over 8 months and through it all was such a warrior and superwoman.

A Celebration of Life will take place for Christine, on her Earthly, 54th Birthday, on Sunday April 16th, 2023. A Location and Time will be determined and updated on this website once confirmed.

In Lieu of Flowers, the family asks memorial donations to be given to:

• The Canadian Cancer Society

• SPCA Animal Shelters across Ontario

• Juravinski Cancer Centre Hamilton Health Sciences