Cornelia Mary Rundell was born on June 8, 1949, in Macklin, Saskatchewan to army veteran Roderick Rundell and war bride Adrianna Rombouts, the second of what would be 11 surviving children.
In 1966 she joined the Sisters of Elizabeth, a catholic teaching order. She left the order in 1968 still pursuing a teaching career. In 1969 Cory enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan full time. There she was active in several feminist campaigns and through student politics met and married Peter A. Russell in 1972.
Their first daughter Heather was born in 1973, the same year the little family moved to Ottawa where Cory pursued a course in journalism at Carleton University. While in Ottawa, Cory was involved in founding the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre and worked her way into the Federal civil service. In 1978 the family moved to Edinburgh where she earned a Master’s Degree in Literature, and soon after they relocated to Birmingham, where she taught Literature and Drama at Fircroft College. There Cory gave birth to her younger two daughters, Jane in 1982, and Emily in 1987. Cory had taken up Karate in Ottawa which she continued in Edinburgh and Birmingham where she began running. Cory had the second fastest time for a woman in the Wolverhampton Marathon, receiving a silver plate Trophy. In 1989 the family returned to Canada, first settling back into Ottawa where Cory taught at high schools in the area. Then the family relocated to the Okanagan in 1992, and Cory taught Basic Adult education and English at Okanagan University College. Cory was highly involved in St. John’s Anglican Church in Salmon Arm which led her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Divinity at the Vancouver School of Theology. Cory was ordained as an Anglican priest in 2002 and shortly after became rector of St. James in Armstrong and St. George in Enderby, a post she held for 12 years. There she oversaw vital maintenance on the foundations of each Parish and enlarged St. James’ hall. In 2014, Cory and Peter moved to Kelowna where Cory became an Associate Priest at St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Cathedral.
She is survived by her husband, Peter Russell, and her daughters Heather (husband David, and children Tom, Calvin, and Miles), Jane (husband Eamonn), and Emily.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Syrian Refugee Fund at St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Cathedral, or the BC Cancer Foundation. The family would like to thank the staff at the BC Cancer Agency and the nurses and care workers from the Palliative Care Program.
On December 29 there will be a vigil at 6:00 pm followed by a service at 7:00 pm at St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Cathedral in Kelowna. The Funeral liturgy will be at 10:00 am at the Cathedral on December 30 with a reception at 2:00 pm.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com, 250-860-7077.