Christine Wolfe

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend Christine Lee Wolfe, (Christy) passed away in Tacoma, WA, on March 31, 2022, surrounded by her family’s love.

Born in Seattle WA, on February 16, 1940, she grew up and attended school in Los Angeles, CA. The eldest of six children born to the Ward family, she is survived by her siblings including Curtis Ward (Bernadette), Kathy Greer (Dixon), Sherry Selby (Craig), Josie Erlich (Brad), and Terri Weathers (Jim). In the words of one of her sisters, “Christy clearly grew into the role of leader, protector, and teacher to her siblings; she was my role model.”

A 1956 graduate of Bishop Conaty High School in Los Angeles, she went on to earn a BA in nursing from Mount Saint Mary’s College of Los Angeles, graduating in 1961.  Some years later in 1973, Christy earned a master’s degree in Marriage & Family Counseling from Pacific Lutheran University and opened a private counseling practice supporting others in their healing journey.

The love affair that would be the glue that held our family together began when Christy met John Wolfe—she was 14, and he was 15. After years of dating, Christy and John were married on June 24, 1961, after they each graduated from college (John from Loyola University). Upon graduation, John was commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Air Force and was assigned to pilot training in Lubbock, TX. After a year living in Lubbock, they were transferred to Dover Delaware for two years and then to Tacoma.  During the five years of John’s Air Force assignments, Christy worked as a hospital nurse in the various cities where they were stationed. After John left the military in 1966, they moved to Puyallup, Washington, where they raised their three children, Valerie, John, and Julie.

Christy and John built community wherever their adventurous life took them. In 1984 they sold the family home in Puyallup and moved to Leavenworth, WA. They enjoyed the landscape and natural beauty of the area where they had previously spent many summers camping as a young family. They quickly became part of the business, social, and faith communities of the stunning Alpine Village of Leavenworth. Throughout the next 10 years, they spent time on both sides of the mountains— on their property in Leavenworth and their home in North Tacoma home where they ultimately settled.

Christy cherished her family. Nicknamed Kiki by her first grandchild, Ashley, her children, grandchildren, and extended chosen family benefitted from the boundless flow of faith, wisdom, and truth that accompanied her lovingly stern “Kiki eyes”. Throughout the years, John and Christy’s home was often a gathering place where all were welcome.

With her unique light and deep faith, Christy embodied a spirit of peace. Spending time with her family, pets, and friends brought her joy. Throughout her life—including her illness and eventual passing— she remained the catalyst for connection and healing. She taught us to be present to ourselves and others, and in each moment to find gratitude.

While her presence will forever be missed, her spirit will live on in the family who love her:  her beloved husband and life companion, John; her three children, Valerie Wellner (Paul), John Wolfe III (Debbie), Julie Vindivich (Mike); her grandchildren: Ashley Conrad (Steve), Hilary Bertrand, Shawn Bertrand Jr., Alyssa Wolfe, Zach Wolfe, Jillian Vindivich, Andrew Vindivich, and her great-grandson, Conor Stover.

We are grateful for the devoted and compassionate care of the medical staff at Tacoma General Hospital. They went above and beyond to create a peaceful environment for her family to be with her as she went into the loving arms of God.

A funeral mass and celebration of her life will be held at St. Leo Church in Tacoma on Saturday, May 7, at 11:00 am, with a reception to follow in the parish’s Bix Hall.