Vuokko Cornett
June 28, 1952 — August 11, 2017
Vuokko “Vicki” Cornett, 65, passed away August 11, 2017, in Jacksonville, Florida. She fought an incredibly courageous battle with lung cancer for nearly four years. Vicki was known for her inspirational ethic of care, professionalism, and advocacy for her students and children.
Vicki was born on June 28, 1952, to the late Paul and Anna Vahala Kallio. She grew up in Fairport Harbor, Ohio and went to Fairport Harding High School where she was salutatorian of the class of 1970. “Vicki” went to Bowling Green State University where she met future husband, Jeff in the Falcon Marching Band when both were freshmen. They celebrated their 44th anniversary on July 14th.
Vicki received a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from BGSU in 1973, Masters Degree in Education from the University of Toledo in 1979, and completed all doctoral coursework (ABD) in teacher education at Ohio State. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades in Ohio for 9 years and 1st grade for 2 years at Colegio Internacional de Carabobo in Venezuela.
Among her many significant contributions in social services, she was the Executive Director of the Crisis Nursery in Orlando, Florida, and worked in a variety of capacities for child welfare, including the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
For twenty-three years, Vicki was an intern and field coursework supervisor of elementary education majors. She supervised over 1,200 teacher education candidates at Ohio State University, Wichita State University, University of Central Florida, University of Northern Iowa, and the University of North Florida. She was a clinical instructor at UNF and her final cohort graduated in the spring semester of 2017.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. Jeffrey W. Cornett; son and United States Marine Sergeant Michael Lee Cornett and his wife Natalia Kaczmarek Cornett; and daughter Erica Mary-Anna Cornett of Orlando.
A memorial service will be held on August 14th at 4 p.m. at the College of Education and Human Services at UNF. A private memorial gathering will follow at a later date with the Cornett family in Columbus, Ohio.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Northeast Florida Community Hospice or the American Lung Association.