Christine Margaret Sinclair-Rowe was born in Queens, New York, on August 19.1949, to Raymond Sinclair of Brockton, Massachusetts, and Bernadette Waldenmeier of Munich, Germany. Her parents met in Germany while her father served the US Army in the Munich Occupation Force after the end of World War II.

Christine graduated from Nanuet High School in Rockland County, New York, in 1967. After studying acting in New York City, Christine found her professional passion as a stage manager in the New York theater, a career that began as a volunteer at Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival at the Public Theater in New York. Among the many productions Chris worked on in New York, both on Broadway and off-Broadway, were several of Mr. Papp’s Free Shakespeare In The Park productions; one of which, 1981’s THE TEMPEST starring Raul Julia, is where Christine met her future husband, actor Stephen Rowe.

Christine and Stephen were married October 1, 1984, and shared 41 years of devoted marriage in New York, Los Angeles and Cambridge, Massachusetts, residences where the couple followed their professional theater aspirations.

Christine passed away peacefully at Stephen’s side on February 11, 2026 at their home in Manchester, New Jersey. Christine is survived by her husband, her two brothers Bob and Rick, from her mother’s second marriage; and her sisters Cathy, Linda, Elaine and Beth, and brother Raymond from Christine’s father’s second marriage in Miami, Florida. The Florida Sinclair family came into her life in 1992 after Christine’s successful and miraculous search to be reunited with her birth father after 37 years of separation. The Florida Sinclairs’ loving acceptance of their new big sister transformed Christine’s later life. Her renewed, expanded family enlivened in Christine a fierce and loving commitment to all in her extended family following Christine’s turbulent childhood, which alternated between her grandparents’ care in Munich and her mother’s new life in New York as a post-war German immigrant.

Christine’s bi-continental upbringing inspired in her a love for travel and a curiosity for how the people of the world reflect the diverse cultures that shape their lives. Chris had an innate affinity for all the arts, but she particularly loved the theater and the vibrant community of acclaimed theater artists and practitioners she was privileged to work with. Later in her career, she joined with her husband, Stephen, as stage manager for his one-man shows at various regional theaters, and in his teaching of theater and acting as a classroom assistant and student advocate, most recently for 10 years at Queens College, of the City University of New York. Her infectious enthusiasm for and unwavering commitment to the creative process of theatrical storytelling have been acknowledged by grateful theater colleagues and acting students she has touched throughout her professional career.

A Celebration of Christine’s life will be held at Willow Hall Auditorium, 1 Buckingham Drive, Manchester, New Jersey on Saturday, April 25 at 2 p.m. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, those wanting to honor Christine’s life with a donation will find a link on this site to Paws Crossed Animal Rescue of Elmsford, New York, where Christine volunteered in her lifelong devotion to alleviate animal cruelty, and where Christine and Stephen found one of their beloved rescue cats, Kyrie.

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