Phoenix Gene Cerenil was born October 22, 2003, in Cheyenne, Wyoming to Refugio Rice Cerenil and Autumn Starr Cerenil-Lee. She started elementary school in Arvada, Colorado and later moved to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. She lived in Laramie, Wyoming for a short time before settling in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she was a caretaker for children in her family. Phoenix loved animals and children. She was creative and loved to weld and cook. Everyone who knew Phoenix described her as a kind, gentle and giving soul. Phoenix was tragically stolen from us too soon, and officially left us on June 17, 2023, at 12:22 PM. As her last act of kindness, her giving soul was able to be an organ donor. She always wanted to help people and was able to save five lives through the devastating loss of her own. She will continue to live on in all of our hearts. In her short life, Phoenix taught us to be kind, to love family, and to laugh no matter what. Her Memorial Service will be held at 11 AM on June 29, 2023, at the old High School building in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming. There will also be a candlelight vigil held in her honor at 8 PM on July 3, 2023, at LaPrele Park in Laramie, Wyoming.
Phoenix was preceded in death by her grandmother, Leigh Cerenil, on May 14, 2016.
She is survived by her father, Refugio and stepmother, Kelsea Cerenil; siblings, Jourdaine, Refugio and Sadie Cerenil; stepsiblings, Cash and Isabelle Smith and Gabriel Terral; grandparents, Cesareo Cerenil, Viriginia (Ginger) and Ron Barkell; uncles, Odilon Cerenil, James Porter-Barkell, Ryan Whitener, Kenny Whitener and Dan Coles; aunts, Starla Porter, Trilby Coles, Kathleen Supiro and Megan Whitener; cousins, Dante, Deekun, Matthew, Kaleb, Niklaus, RoZan, Blaynne, Izaak, Noah, Victor, Caleb, Shayne, Rhiannon, Hunter, Amaera and William; among many other family members and loved ones.