Celia Marie Asbell of Burlington, Vt., passed away peacefully at the age of 70 on Sept 9, 2025, from complications following pancreatic cancer.
Celia grew up in St Albans, Vt., but moved to Burlington to attend the University of Vermont in 1973. After college, while working for J.C. Penney, she was transferred to Warren, Pa., where she lived from 1977 to 1982. Upon returning to Burlington, she served as box office manager for the Flynn Theater from 1982 to 2000. After receiving an MBA from UVM, she joined Gallagher, Flynn and Company, where she worked from 2000 to 2019, getting her CPA license in the process. After leaving GFC, Celia taught courses in financial accounting at her alma mater, UVM. In 2019, she received a graduate degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University New Orleans and began teaching courses in theology there shortly after.
Celia had been a music minister in the Catholic church since she was nine years old. She had currently been serving as organist and choir director for St. Joseph Cathedral and provided music at several other churches in the area. Her singing, organ playing and choir directing has made her beloved by literally thousands of parishioners over the years. She also served as treasurer for the Vermont Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
She was active on the boards of many Chittenden County organizations, including the Champlain Valley Folk Festival, VSA Arts, Mater Christi School, the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, Vermont Choral Union and Burlington Baroque.
Celia is survived by her husband, Paul Asbell; her mother, Anne Kenyon; and siblings, Michael Kenyon, Steve Kenyon, Bill Kenyon, Karen Boudreau, Kathy Brooks, Mary Hewitt and Julie Kenyon.
Family and friends are invited to call on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at the Ready Funeral Home, 261 Shelburne Rd., Burlington, VT, from 4 to 6 p.m. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St Joseph’s Cathedral Church, 29 Allen St., Burlington, VT, on Monday, September 15 ,2025, at noon.
Burial will be on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at noon, at Mount Calvary Cemetery Annex, Pomeroy St., Burlington, Vt. A memorial service and celebration of Celia’s rich life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity or Doctors Without Borders.
Arrangements are in the care of the Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.