Cristina Kenney – October 24, 1949 – December 21, 2023
Cristina (Crisie) Kenney died on December 21, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. She was 74.
Daughter of Dolores Kenney and Bergere Kenney of Santa Fe, Crisie was born on October 24, 1949, at St. Vincent Hospital, when it was on Palace Ave. She was the middle of five children: Katie, David, Nancy, and Ellen Kenney.
Crisie was raised at 104 Monte Vista Place, a stone’s throw from Mager’s Field, the Santa Fe High School football field, and a short walk to where Zozobra burns every year. She and her family then moved to Paseo de la Loma, also a short walk from Zozobra.
She learned to ski at Santa Fe Ski Basin when she was seven years old. Crisie went to Carlos Gilbert Elementary, Leah Harvey Junior High, and graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1967.
Crisie appeared to be a quiet person and quickly exhibited her personal strength as a competitive swimmer, a straight-A student, the class/honor society president, and a durable friend. She went on to graduate from Santa Fe High School and went to UNM with the goal of becoming a doctor. She was turned away from the pre-medical school because she was a woman. That did not stop her.
Crisie received her Bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry at UNM, her PHD in anatomy and biochemistry at ASU in Tucson, did her postdoctoral degree in collagen biochemistry at USC, and her MD in medicine at UCLA. She specialized in ophthalmology, which she practiced at Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles for 15 years. She was recruited by UC Irvine to head the Mitochondria Research Laboratory at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, UC Irvine School of Medicine. Her research discoveries were outstanding and will live on, hopefully helping many who lose sight of aging diseases.
Crisie lived with her husband, Anthony Nesburn, M.D., also an ophthalmologist and researcher, in Malibu, CA, for 35 years. Crisie is survived by Anthony Nesburn, stepchildren Kristin Nesburn Silver (Barry Silver) and Matt Nesburn (Lara), and 3 stepgrandchildren: sisters Ellen Kenney, Nancy Kenney (Rob Althouse), and Katie Peters (Gerald), brother David Kenney (Nancy), and 10 nieces and nephews and 8 great-nieces and nephews. She is also survived by many of her cousins and their families around the world.
Crisie and Tony enjoyed their many travel adventures around the world, snorkeling, skiing, and going on safari. They devoted much of their time and energy to founding and running the non-profit Discovery Eye Foundation, dedicated to researching treatments for vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration and other blinding diseases.
Crisie’s great love was her work. Her ground-breaking research on diseases of the eye will lead to sight-saving treatments for thousands of patients. The research lab at UC Irvine was her daily work place, and its output was her source of pride and accomplishment. The success of her innovative scientific breakthroughs is noteworthy and will live after her.
Crisie never had children, but, in her graceful, kind, generous, and intelligent way, she gathered family around her, and we all became her children. Whether a sister, brother, stepson, stepdaughter, niece, nephew, or cousin, Crisie would listen to you, understand, make helpful suggestions, and somehow enable everyone to accomplish what they needed.
Crisie will be greatly missed, not only by her Santa Fe family and extended family around the country, but also by her patients, her medical families at Cedar Sinai, the University of California Irvine Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, her research lab, and everyone whose life she touched.
Crisie’s beauty, grace, generosity, and intelligence are unsurpassed, and her kindness is legendary.
We love you, Cris, and we keep you in our hearts.
Those wishing to honor Cris’s memory may do so with a tax-free donation to her beloved Discovery Eye Foundation. Information is available at discoveryeye.org.
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