Hello everyone.  This memorial site comes long overdue for my Mom.  A lot has been happening to to take care of Mom after her passing as well as making sure Dad was doing ok.  Then you throw in the simple fact of how to memorialize your Mother with the assistance of family that is located all across the country... and this process slows down even more.  Not because of family, but because it seems to be harder and harder to find the right words or the best words to do this.  Mom would never want a big production or anything over the top even though we believe she deserves it.  No, Mom would be just fine with cremation like her and Dad had planned for and to just share the love and memories that she was a part of in her life.  So that's really what I decided to do here.  I wanted this Obituary to also be a Eulogy and a page to kick off memories and stories to share about Mom from as far back as anyone can remember, all the way up until the day she passed.  It's hard to do but we can do it over time.  

So here we go... 

Christine "Chris" Whitney, 75, of Phoenix, AZ passed away on April 28, 2022.  Chris was born on February 21st, 1947 in Baltimore, MD to Fred and Clara Albert.  Clara, pre-deceased, Mom (Chris) in 2010 and Fred pre-deceased Mom many years ago in 1971.  Chris was the younger sister to Lynn.  Mom had my sister, Erin, in 1973 and I followed a couple years later in 1975.  Seeing some old pictures of Mom recently have been heartwarming.  She was a beautiful woman her entire life and I'm in awe of how much of a resemblance I see in Erin and I as well as our own kids now - Mom's grandkids.  I'll be sure to share some pictures that have been sent to me.  Mom and Dad (Tom) were married in 1980 and we all soon found ourselves in Keene, NY where Dad is originally from.  As Mom brought Erin and I into their new relationship, Dad also brought his 3 sons in as well.  Although Jeff, Dan and Billy didn't reside with us right away, they were still a part of this journey and adventure.  Dan moved to New York with us a couple years after we arrived there.  It took some serious adjusting for Mom when moving to the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York.  Mom grew up in the urban life of Baltimore and didn't have to deal with dirt roads, steep hills and weather that changed every couple of minutes almost.  I can't wait to share some stories along the way here about Mom and how she's despised winter driving!

Mom became Secretary/Administrative Assistant at North Country School in Lake Placid, NY (North Elba) in the early 80's.  This private boarding school for grades 4-8 (at the time) was wonderful for Mom as she became good friends with so many of the teachers, staff and students.  Mom's hard work also allowed Erin and I to attend this school during these years.  She stayed there for many years and became a part of that community until 1994 when her and Dad decided move to Arizona.  This was right after both Erin and I had left home after, so they saw an opportunity for a fresh start in a warmer (much warmer) part of the country.  Erin had moved out to Arizona at that time as well... and soon after, Dan moved to Arizona and, as luck would have it; I moved to Arizona with my new bride Brooke.  In Arizona, Mom found work again as an Administrative Assistant and worked at two different offices before she officially retired from working in 2014.  Erin gave birth to Grayson in November of 2013 and Mom and Dad spent a number of years babysitting their newest Grandson anytime they could and they loved every minute of it.  And when Grayson got older and was in school, Mom made sure to call Grayson a couple times per week to check in with him after school.  She loved sharing his stories.  In more recent years, Mom spent most of her days at home.  Although she hated doing it, part of her routine she did every week was going to the grocery store.  And, I really think she liked to see people and get out a bit.  In 2016 Mom suffered a serious injury after a routine procedure that landed her in the hospital fighting.  She fought a lot during this time.  She was in a coma for a couple days after emergency surgery and she eventually came back, fought back, went to rehab in two different places and gained her strength and eventually went home with Dad.  It wasn't long after that Mom got back into her routines but things were different and she was definitely not as active as she may have been before.  Mom and Dad looked out for each other and despite their own respective health concerns, they helped each other as best they could.  Mom may have slowed down in her activities and routines over the years but she made sure to keep in touch with her friends and family as much as she could.  One of Mom's greatest accomplishments, and one that I am so proud of her for, is exceeding her weight loss goal with Weight Watchers.  Mom was a huge advocate of this weight loss program and it became a way of life for her for years and years.  She lost over 100 pounds!!  But in that time Mom gained some of her closest and dearest friends and support people ever.  Well after her accomplishment,  Mom still stuck with what this program had helped her with over the years.  And she regularly met up with the same people that were with her in her weight loss journey, almost every month.  When Mom was in the hospital and the time was coming close to her passing, I was with Dad when he made the call to one of Mom's dearest friends from Weight Watchers, Mary, and it was a very tough call.  Even Dad knew how close they were and it was a tough moment in the middle of other tough moments.  A testament to the impact that not only how Mom cherished friendships, but the bond she had with those she was close to.  Don't get me wrong about the whole Weight Watcher thing , Mom did amazing with it, but Mom still loved her Starbucks and made the trip almost every Sunday to "Get a paper and a coffee" (Iced Caramel Machiatto).  

Mom (Chris) is already greatly missed by not only her family but by all those that knew her.  Mom was such a loving person and spirit.  And she reminded people that they are loved and cared for.  I miss our talks on the phone a couple times a week.  We will all move forward but we do it with more emptiness in us than what we had before.  Her laugh, her smile, her wit... it was who she was.  It is who we will remember and miss every moment of every day.  Dad made a big decision after Mom passed and he has moved back east to West Virginia to live with Dan.  We all agreed that it was a good move for him.  He misses Mom.  He talks to her and loves her as he always has... and I know he always will.

In closing, I want to thank my Mom for being who she was because she helped me become who I am.  I can only hope to continue to share love and laughter as you did Mom.  I love you and miss you.

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