On Saturday the 26th of July 2025 Christine (Criss) Marie Cullison, 63 of Great Mills, MD passed away peacefully at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Criss was born to the late John Norman Cullison, Jr. and Brenda Jean Jarboe Cullison Guy on September 27th, 1961, their second child. Criss was raised in the Catholic faith after being baptized at Holy Face Catholic Church in Great Mills, MD. She attended mass with her family every Sunday.

As a young girl, Criss was very close to her family. During the summers she enjoyed the annual family trips to the mountains. Over the years trips with her family included vacations to the Shenandoah National Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway. In Tennessee she got to pan for rubies and rode on Tweetsie Railroad. In West Virginia she toured a coal mine and rode Cass Scenic Railroad. She visited the headwaters of the Potomac River. In North Carolina she visited the Cherokee Indian Reservation, Grandfather Mountain, Fontana Dam and Clingmans Dome. In Pennsylvania she visited the Gettysburg Battlefield, Hershey Chocolate Factory, Hershey Park and Amish country. In Kentucky she visited Mammoth Cave and Boonesborough. In Virginia she visited Bush Gardens in Williamsburg, Mabry Mill and Luray Caverns. She also picked up fairy stone crosses at Fairy Stone State Park. While maybe not the most avid outdoor type Criss did enjoy the time spent with family and all the places visited.

Criss attended Little Flower Catholic School, Piney Point Elementary, Esperanza Middle School and St. Mary's Academy. She graduated from St. Mary's Academy in May 1979. After Graduating Criss continued her education at St. Mary's College graduating with a bachelor's and later earning her Master's degree.

She started work at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, MD at Public Works went on to work at Naval Aviation Depot Operations Center (NADOC) and later took a position with the Contracts department, earning the respect of her peers she worked her way up to a position as Contracting Officer. She retired from her civil service career in 2013.

Criss started cake decorating as a teen perfecting her talent as a master cake decorator in the community. Her cakes were found at a number of weddings or at special occasions where she made birthday, anniversary or doll cakes. Many of you may have enjoyed her cookies, cupcakes, cakes or other baked goods that came out of her kitchen. When not baking, Criss perfected her talent as a painter. She painted a number of paintings over the years, becoming very skilled and showing her talent at a local art show showcasing her works. Criss also loved to crochet, making numerous Afghan's, baby blankets, pillows, animals, flowers and many other items from a skein or two of yarn.

Criss continued to give to the community over the years, a lifelong resident of St. Mary's County. She was a Sunday School teacher at Little Flower School, member of Toastmasters Club, Ridge Lions Club, St. Mary Chapter of NARFE, KC Belles Ridge, MD and Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court St. Mary's #1547.

Criss is survived by her brother Michael Patrick Cullison (Anita Lorraine) of Leonardtown, MD and stepsiblings Virginia Quade of Bushwood, MD, Deborah Burroughs of Hollywood, MD, Robin Lawrence (George) of Chaptico, MD, and Emanuel Guy, Jr. of Hollywood, MD; uncles; John Parron Jarboe (Maryann) of Wildewood, FL, and Robert Neal Jarboe (Nancy) of Myrtle Beach, SC. and aunt Beverly Jarboe of Hughesville, MD and her nieces and nephews Olivia M. Cullison and Dylan P. Cullison of Leonardtown, MD; Elijah G. Cullison of Greenville, SC and Allison M. Cullison of NC. Vanessa N. Stewart and great niece McKenna N. Gipson of Charleston, SC. Also, her dear friend and neighbor April and George (Geep) Connelly, children Stevy, Sunnie, Jorga and Phillip. They once wanted to build a fence for privacy, that was never built, they later became the best of friends since first meeting 23 years ago.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her brother Joseph Earl Cullison, stepfather Emanual Greenwell Guy Sr., paternal grandparents John Norman Cullison, Sr. and Margaret Mary Combs Cullison, her maternal grandparents Parran Benedict Jarboe and Rita Alyce Tennyson Jarboe, her uncle Benedict Paul Jarboe; stepsiblings Dennis Guy, and Lisa Guy, her stepbother-in-laws Frank Quade and James Burroughs, and her nieces and nephew Rebecca Lorraine Cullison, Jason Long, Sunni Lee Guy and Leighann Burroughs Tuemler.

The family will receive friends on the 11th of August 2025 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM with prayers followed by rosary commencing at 7:00 pm in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Scott Holmer on the 12th of August 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in Holy Face Catholic Church, Great Mills, MD. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearer's will be John (Bubba) Chapman, Sr, John (LJ) Chapman, Jr, George (Geep) Connelly, Phillip Connelly, Christopher Jarboe, Steven Jarboe, Sean McCampbell, Brandon Chapman and Dylan Cullison.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be sent to the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad or Holy Face Church, Great Mills.