My dear and lovely friend Christina. Today, like many days, I remember you with love. In honor of our special friendship I will paint flowers in your watercolor pad using your brushes. I treasure the moments we shared together. With love,

Irma

"Nothing you love is lost. Not really. Things, people—they always go away, sooner or later. You can’t hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they’ve touched you, if they’re inside you, then they’re still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart." ~Bruce Coville 

Christina was a book lover. During one of the last at home visits with her she picked up Braiding Sweetgrass, and asked if she could read a favorite section to us (John and my husband Jim and I). It was apparent how much she loved the book, and what it conveyed. So it seemed appropriate to share the words of a favorite children's author from my days as a school librarian. 

(Book: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher https://amzn.to/3zwQU8u [ad])

It is a great blessing to have had Christina in my life. I shall always treasure the many memories of her sharing her love with all of us in so many ways. Although there were many ways she shared her love, I remember especially her hosting the Monday night devotionals which not only included a number of us in our area, but she also took an interest in persons from far away in another state who participated and when she realized that person needed special attention she tried to help that person in whatever way she could.  Another instance, although there were many more, she set up a regular online zoom gathering once a month to enable a lonely computer savvy participant to feel more included who had just moved to a new area. Another way she shared her love was by remembering and communicating with all who were sick or lonely by sending them cards, emails, text messages, and occasionally small gifts, to show they were remembered and she was praying for them .  She shared her computer skills with me by patiently helping me to learn how  to conduct a zoom meeting with music.  In addition to all this, I remember Christina as an example of a wondrous seeker who beseeched God continually to help her find her own reality and the reality of all life. She had the ability in selecting enchanting Baha'i prayers which exactly fit the occasion. I cherish one of her favorite prayers which has become one of my favorites and it is always close by.  She was a Baha'i who shared her love in so many ways to all who crossed her path - "In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love.." Baha'u'llah.  She promoted the unity of mankind in all facets of her life as a follower of Baha'u'llah who came to unite all peoples of the world as one family - "Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all mankind." Baha'u'llah

Dear John and family 

We are so very sorry for your loss and we are praying for Christina’s soul and her flight to the Abha kingdom.  

We are also keeping John in our prayers to help him through this time of need. George 

My sincere condolences to all of Christina's family, her husband John, son JR and sister Susan who I got to know through the WWII Pathfinder B-17 Brome memorial project meeting virtually in early March 2023. To honor their uncle, great uncle and his crew. I first met Christina after I serendipitously located her sister Susan by creative online searches. We were all hoping the pilot Arthur Joseph Reynolds’ family would be found and be a part of the project and 80th anniversary memorial this past November 10th. It was such an amazing connection for all of us to find his family and work with Christina on this passion project which she wholeheartedly took on in memory of her father.  He spent his retirement researching his unanswered questions about his brother Arthur’s crash in 1943 in Suffolk, England. Closure for the family on behalf of their Dad’s longtime quest. Christina was an integral part of our project to honor her Uncle Arthur. Every step of the way. She was interviewed by a local Camas WA paper along with Steve Andrews and me. It was a special connection for all of us to get to know her and learn about their family stories and see family photographs. Christina will always be remembered in the research booklet acknowledgements. A lasting legacy among many. 

I’m grateful to have met her and count her as one of my dear friends. She made a difference and lived life fully with grace, courage and determination.

 I miss her. 

I hope the orcas will thrive in the PNW and the beauty she saw in them will live on and continue to inspire.

With love and respect…