Christina Lee (Almstead) Kasierski

Christina Lee (Almstead) Kasierski, 49, of Raleigh, NC, passed away peacefully, surrounded and supported by family and friends, on August 25, 2024. She was a beloved and inspiring wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, family member and friend. 

Christina lived a life of joy, love, achievement and laughter.  Raised in Greenfield, Mass, she was imbued with a preternatural ability to connect with people.  She made her earliest lifelong friends while attending and graduating from Greenfield public schools before earning her degree from, and making longtime friends at, Framingham State University.  

Following her early career in Boston, Mass, Christina relocated to Raleigh, NC in 2004, where she helped raise her stepsons while continuously making new friends in the adopted hometown which she came to love.  Chris continued her career in office administration before training to become an Aesthetician and starting and operating her own business.  Following the sale of her company Christina enjoyed devoting her efforts to charitable and volunteer work.  Through these efforts she impacted many lives and also adopted her two rescue dogs, CJ and then later Yoshi, who were reflections of CK’s sweetness, loyalty, enthusiasm and tenacity.

Family was the center of Christina’s life. Her parents raised her to be genuine, independent and self-sufficient; her older brothers taught her to be tough, self-confident and never back down.  She exhibited these qualities throughout her life and they served her well…although they occasionally presented a problem for her husband.  They met in May 2001, fell in love, and were best friends.  She meant the world to him.  Through him she also became a stepmother to Sam and Ben, a role she valued above all others.  Nothing brought Christina greater joy than guiding and engaging with the boys, and she proudly watched them flourish. 

Christina was an athlete and teammate who relished competition but enjoyed the camaraderie of sports even more.  From varsity athletics in high school and college, to adult volleyball and tennis leagues, to a 60-mile charity walk and a half marathon, Chris was inherently understated and gracious about her many achievements, victories and championships.

Chris cherished her time outdoors, including relaxing at her family's camp in Maine, working college summers at the Nantucket Boat Basin, skiing the mountains of New England, walking the beaches of Bald Head Island with her dogs, and taking morning coffee on the deck at Webster Lake.  She also enjoyed travel, and was a terrific companion on road trips, long weekends and extended getaways, including family vacations in Emerald Isle and Harpswell, and girls weekends in Myrtle Beach.

CK loved any opportunity to socialize.  Whether it was card games with family and friends, charitable events and fundraisers, trivia night at Lynwood, music shows and concerts, cocktails with the ladies of SARC or her friends at the Whistle Stop, or dancing at places as diverse as the North End Pub and (to her husband’s chagrin) the clubs of South Beach, people enjoyed being with Christina and were attracted to her natural charm and brightness.

Christina was adored by her family, and is survived by her husband Justyn, her parents Ray and Donna Almstead, her stepsons Sam and Ben, her brothers Steven and Michael, her aunts Jackie, Patty and Aggie, her uncle and hiking buddy Tom, her in-laws Jim, Barbara, Jamie and Erin, her goddaughter Rose, her nephew Jake, and many cousins, in-laws and extended family whom she loved dearly.  They, together with her friends, helped provide CK a life filled with love and meaning (and lots of laughs).  We all move forward carrying her spirit in our hearts.

A wake will be held from 5-7p on September 5 at the Smith-Kelleher Funeral Home, 87 Franklin St. in Greenfield, Mass.  A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Christina will be held at 11a on September 6 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenfield, Mass, followed by a memorial reception that afternoon.  A party celebrating CK’s life will be held December 7 in Raleigh, NC.  In lieu of flowers please consider honoring Christina with a donation to the Pretty in Pink Foundation, the Saving Grace dog rescue, or your favorite cancer research and support charity.  

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