The Lincoln community suffered a great loss when Becky Romness, 57, died Saturday after a 2 ½- year battle with cancer.

Romness was the founder and principal of Community Christian School, which educates students of preschool age through eighth grade in Lincoln since 1995.

Ken Campbell, school board president for the school, said he remembered Becky as having a passion for both the school and the Lincoln community.

“Her vision and her passion was the school,” Campbell said. “She gave her life to Community Christian School and it was her vision to start a school raising principled, centered leaders through Christian education.”

Campbell said students have come back to Romness, “thanking her for pouring her life into” the school. His two daughters were students there,

“My kids would not be who they are today without Becky and her pouring her life into those kids,” Campbell said. “It’s really remarkable. Not only that but Becky got the whole community involved. It’s called Community Christian School because it was Becky’s vision for it to be a school for the whole community.”

Campbell said the school will continue on, even though Romness is gone.

“It’s a great loss for the community but we know she’s in Heaven,” Campbell said. “The school is going to continue on. We just need to carry on.”

Campbell said he’d miss Becky, saying they had fun together and would laugh and joke.

“She’ll be missed,” Campbell said. “There were so many people that just loved her so much because she was such a giving, loving person.”

Laura Duncan, the school’s office manager for the past six years, said she “was blessed to have worked” with Romness.

“Becky was a very special person to me. Community Christian School was her passion. She knew it was her lifelong mission to start Community Christian School,” Duncan said. “She was just an excellent role model, friend and boss.”

Dr. Jerry Keene, the school’s vice principal, discussed Romness’ commitment for the school and her students.

“She had a passion for the community and the active participation of our students connecting and being principled, centered leaders in our community,” Keene said. “That was her passion.”

Keene also described Romness as a “driver.”

“She had in her what she’d like to see accomplished and she’d look for people who could make those things happen in the way she would want them to happen. She would come alongside you, encourage you and equip you with the tools to accomplish those tasks,” Keene said. “She had a very nice personality.”

Simple Pleasure’s owner Diana Burke remembered Romness for her “love of people and her smile,” and also as someone who had been there for Burke.

Burke is a longtime family friend of Romness and her husband, Bob Romness.

“She’s just a beautiful woman inside and out, and she had a passion for teaching kids,” Burke said.

Burke described Romness as a “great mom” to her two daughters. She described Romness as a “quiet, very thoughtful person” who was “fun and had a really fun side.”