Cornelia Kite

Cornelia “Neal” Jarman Kite passed away peacefully at her daughter’s home in Exmore, Virginia on Friday, April 5, 2024 . Neal was preceded in death by her loving husband of 35 years, Ronnie Kite; her parents,  Needy and Bernard Jarman and her sister Mary Lindsay Abernathy.

Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, Neal was a graduate of Lane High School Class of 1955. After graduation, she attended Longwood College. Neal had a love for interior design and antiques. During her marriage to Ronnie, she owned and operated the Meadowbrook Wallpaper Shop. She specialized in wallpaper, primitive and painted furniture and accessories.

Neal and Ronnie traveled and sought out beautiful antique pieces for the shop exploring roadside shops throughout Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina and many local counties on their frequent Sunday road trips. Until her health started to fail, Neal never missed the spring and fall Fishersville Antiques Expo. She maintained lifelong friendships with many of the dealers and loved to browse and visit with them at each Expo.

After retiring in 1996, she took care of their farm in Esmont and traveled to her sweet cottage in Cape Charles, enjoying gardening and caring for their many adopted dogs and cats, sometimes as many as 13 dogs at one time. She was a sucker for every stray dog and cat she came across.

She will be remembered for her beautiful smile that lit up a room, her love of fashion, dancing on Saturday nights with Ronnie at the Aberdeen Barn and entertaining at tailgates at UVA football games. She loved baking Christmas rum cakes and creating fried chicken Sunday night dinners for the family--when she could get everyone together.

Neal was previously married to Howard Edward (Eddie) Huffman and they had two children, Eddie and Beth.  She had unconditional love for both her son Howard Edward (Eddie) Huffman II (Michelle) of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina and her daughter, Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Glaser (Gary) of Exmore, Virginia; her granddaughters, Carter Ashley Richardson Gilliam of Madison, Virginia and Jordan Alyssa Richardson of Loveland, Colorado as well as her four-legged constant companion, Abigail, her Pomeranian.

A remembrance and celebration of life will be held this summer, her favorite season. The family wishes to thank her caregivers, Dr. Barbara Post, Robin Snead and Betty Massenburg as well as Riverside Hospice, for their loving care during Neal’s last months.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the SPCA Eastern Shore Inc., P.O. Box 164, Onley, VA 23418, Alzheimer's Association, Southeastern Virginia Chapter, 6350 Center Drive, Suite #102, Norfolk, Virginia 23502or Riverside Shore Hospice, P.O. Box 615, Onley, VA 23418.  

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.doughtyfuneralhome.com

Arrangements were made by Doughty Funeral Home in Exmore, Virginia.