Obituary of Margaret Ellen Christy

DEDICATION TO FAMILY

DETERMINATION TO NEVER GIVE UP

COMMITMENT TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 

These phrases characterize the life of Margaret Ellen Christy, who died on August 19, 2023. She was able to take her regular morning walk, swim, and engage in her typical helpful activities every day in the weeks before her unexpected passing.

Margaret was born on June 17, 1947 in Jackson Heights, N.Y. to Henry Blaney and Helen Cotter Blaney. She was the youngest of 5 children, joining older siblings John, Henry, Arline, and Richard. She had fond memories of her childhood living in a railroad apartment, playing stoop ball in the summers, hide-and-seek in the back alley, dressing up and being styled by big sister Arline. This relationship came full circle as Margaret happily took care of Arline during her final years.

Margaret graduated from St. Agnes High School and then attended Grace Institute in Manhattan. This secretarial school led to a job with the Phipps family at their business office on Park Avenue. Her work in both insurance and venture capital departments provided her first experience with financial markets and investing. One of her lifelong pursuits was taking charge of all aspects of personal finance.

The career Margaret really wanted came to fruition with her marriage to husband Dennis and the birth of her children Ellen, Michael and Ilene. She relished the job of homemaker and was relentless at creating a nurturing home. In her later years timespent with her grandchildren was a special joy. Her mantra was to always take advantage of any opportunities to help out and connect with all family members, including extended family. No personal milestone went unnoticed or uncelebrated. For her, staying connected was a priority.

The 54 year marriage of Margaret and Dennis fit the classic example of two people with different and compatible talents who joined to create a great team. They navigated jointly over all major life decisions and both were very proud of the family they produced. In professional matters Dennis authored numerous math textbooks and Margaret brought his ideas to life by typing and proofreading all his manuscripts and instructorsmanuals. Not an easy task in an era of typewriters and white-out!  A common dedication on his books reads “To Margaret Ellen, who made my project, her project.” A true teammate in every aspect.

The environment was a priority for Margaret. She always recycled, conserved, and shopped wisely, bringing reusable bags to the grocery store well before it became trendy. Swimming, hiking, massages, and woodworking were among her other interests. She was especially proud of solving her dining room table problem by building one herself. That was in 1979 and this table is still the gathering place today. Her simple pleasures were not surprising. Smiles and hugs (especially from family members), listening to music and to podcasts gave her great joy. However, her greatest pleasure was helping others.

Margaret is survived by her husband Dennis, children Ellen (Dave), Michael (Jamie) and Ilene (Sean), brothers John (Natalie) and Richard (Anita), Henry’s wife Kathleen, and grandchildren Gavin, Ryan, Madeline, Kate, and Alice. 

Members of her family have been affected by Alzheimer’s. In lieu of flowers donations to the Alzheimer’s Association would be appreciated.