TRIBUTE FOR CHRISTINE PFAFF
Independent Spirit… 
Devoted to Family…
1934 - 2005

	
	We are here today to share a Celebration of the Life of Christine Pfaff.  
We are here to remember and share stories, cry a little and laugh a little, 
because that is the way Christine would have wanted it.  It is the family’s hope 
today, that every part of this service will honor Christine’s life, Christine’s 
history, and Christine’s story.
	As guests you share an important day with Christine’s immediate family.  
They are in our thoughts, because losing a loved one is never easy.  Christine 
was so unique in her spirit.  Even in the midst of her own problems, she was 
sharing stories and sharing moments with her family and friends, living her life 
as best she could, until the end.
	We honor her memory in many ways, especially with her devotion to family.  
We think of her husband, Mike, as they were in a true partnership, working 
together every step of the way.  We also think of their daughters, Jeany and 
Lorie…and their granddaughter, 14 year old Veronica…Arno, her brother…friends 
like Ollie, Nancy, and June…and of course, her caretaker and housekeeper, Maria, 
who has helped the family for the last nine years.  Everyone in Christine’s 
world played a pivotal role in her life.
	Christine’s story began when she was born in Germany, May 5th, 1934.  She 
grew up in Berlin with her parents Arno and Lotte and her brother, Arno.  Their 
father was captured on the Russian front and taken as a POW.  He remained a 
prisoner for 6 years.  As a result, their mother had to leave Berlin for work 
during the day to support the family.  While their mother was away, Christine 
acted as a second mother to her brother, Arno.  Christine remembered carrying 
her little brother down into the shelters.  Arno recalls a night when bombs 
rained down over their home in Berlin.  It was a difficult childhood, because of 
World War II.  The only things they had were each other.  Before he was of 
school age, Arno remembers going to school with Christine, because it was safer 
for him to go to school with her, than to stay home by himself.  She took him 
under her wing and was very protective of her little brother.
	Their father was a prisoner of war until 1950.  Their mother struggled to 
keep the family together, to make a new life for all of them.  Despite his time 
as a prisoner, his love never stopped for his wife.  In fact, he carried a 
picture of her in his pocket.  While he was prisoner of war, that picture 
probably kept him going on his most difficult days.  
	Christine worked while she was in school and graduated from high school in 
Germany.   As there were no advanced educational opportunities because of the 
war, after graduation she quickly landed a job in the manufacturing of ladies 
clothing.  Her talents flourished.  
	Soon, Christine’s life would change forever.
	A young Austrian man named Mike Pfaff moved to the United States in 1952.  
Shortly after, he was drafted into the United States Army.  He went through Boot 
Camp in 1953 at Camp Roberts and he tested to become an interpreter.  Mike was 
then stationed in Berlin, Germany for the next 18 months.  As a result of his 
expertise as an interpreter, he went to places the GI’s did not go.  He met and 
talked with the locals because he was fluent in German.  It was in Berlin that 
he met Christine.  Once back in the United States, he talked with his parents 
about the special woman he met in Germany.  They all agreed.  In 1955, he 
sponsored Christine as a bride and ultimately, in 1957, sponsored her parents 
and brother to come to the United States as well.
	Mike was Catholic, Christine was Evangelical.  Christine agreed to 
convert, but after two weeks of classes with the church, they decided to go 
through with a big wedding at the Evangelical Church, red carpet, and all.  It 
was a beautiful wedding.  Christine and Mike were married October 22nd, 1955 in 
Chicago, Illinois.  Her dress was beautiful.   It was her dream of a white 
flowing dress.  She knew exactly what she wanted in her dress and hired a 
dressmaker to make it to her specifications.  Their wedding picture is here 
today.
	Christine was tenacious and feisty.  In fact, after arriving in the United 
States, she walked down to the Social Security Office by herself to get her 
Social Security card.  And, then she looked for work.  One of her first stops 
was a department store.  She walked in, met with Mrs. Bloom, and started work 
that very day.  Christine worked at the department store over the course of a 
four year period and became a window dresser for several of their stores.  She 
had a keen eye for clothing, what went together, and ultimately what would sell 
the product.  She had terrific talents.  
	In her spare time, Christine was trying to learn English by watching 
television.  The Lysol commercials bothered her so much because when she heard 
that Lysol would kill germs, she thought it said it would kill Germans.  Later, 
an explanation brought a chuckle from her family.
	There wasn’t any clear cut plan for Mike and Christine, but they knew they 
wanted to be on solid ground before having children.  They had been married for 
4 years and Mike was successfully working in custom furniture design.  One day 
in 1959, the owner of the company in Chicago decided to open up a branch factory 
in Los Angeles.  When Mike arrived in Los Angeles, it was an empty warehouse and 
he was starting from scratch.  His boss rented the space and Mike had to find 
all of the suppliers.  It was hard, but he was used to working.  One of the few 
perks Mike had was driving a brand new T-Bird.  Soon, Mike and Christine bought 
a new tract house in Canoga Park on the GI bill with only 3 percent interest.  
	
	In 1960, the couple was anticipating the birth of their first child.  Mike 
was watching the 11 o’clock news, when Christine told him, “It’s time to go to 
the hospital.”  Mike said, “Let me finish watching the news first.”  Christine 
smiled and said in a clear tone, “We’ve got to go now.”  So, he missed the rest 
of the news and took her to the hospital.  By the next day, she still hadn’t 
delivered the baby.  So, the doctor told Mike to go get some breakfast.  He went 
to grab a bite for breakfast and by the time he returned, the doctor met him in 
the hallway to say he delivered their first daughter, Jeany.  It is quite a 
story to remember.
	April 1st, 1963, Mike and Christine started their own furniture 
manufacturing business.  It was an exciting time but it also required much work 
and attention.  As they were building the business, tightening the belt was no 
problem.  Mike and Christine were always conscious of fiscal responsibilities.  
They never spent money in a frivolous manner.
	Soon, Jeany would go to work with her parents.  She would move around with 
her little walker throughout the office.  Mike and Christine were working so 
hard, once Jeany started pre-school, the daycare would call them at work to 
remind him it was 6 o’clock and it was time to pick up their daughter.  Jeany 
remembers the coffee smell from the office with a smile now.  Once, when she was 
little, she got her hand stuck inside a check register machine and Mike had to 
take the machine apart to remove her hand.
	In 1965, another child was about to arrive.  Christine, though, took 
matters into her own hands.  She woke up in the middle of the night ready to 
deliver, but didn’t want to wake up Mike.  So, she called herself a cab in the 
middle of the night.  The next morning, the phone rang, waking Mike from his 
sleep.  The doctor told Mike, “Your wife had a baby girl.”  Mike looked next to 
him in bed and couldn’t believe his wife had gone to the hospital without him.  
	Little Lorie was born at Van Nuys Hospital during the time of the Watts 
Riots.  A gift in the middle of a chaotic world.   Jeany now had an instant 
friend.  As children, the girls attended Pinecrest Schools and they remember 
their mother with a smile.  She was always supportive of all their interests.
	The girls remember when the family bought bicycles for everyone to ride 
around together.  Due to a difficult childhood, Christine never learned how to 
ride a bike.  So, Mike bought her a special adult tricycle that had a basket in 
the back.  She would ride to the store to get items, load them into her basket, 
and ride the bike home.  She would try almost anything so they could do it 
together as a family.
	Lorie says their childhood and family life were really stable and secure.  
There was no turmoil.  Her mom loved when Jeany would play the piano and flute.  
She also loved doing creative art projects with the girls.  They would macramé 
art projects together.  At the cabin in Big Bear, Lorie remembers painting 
little statues with her mom.  Once, Lorie stayed home from school because she 
was sick…and she never stayed home sick.  Lorie thought it was exciting because 
she got to help her mom unload the dishwasher.
	Over the years, Christine was interested in politics and received rewards 
for being a political supporter.  But most importantly, she was a supporter to 
her family.  She also helped her parents back in Chicago.  After her father died 
unexpectedly in 1962, she tried to watch out for her mother more.  Her mom rode 
a similar tricycle to the store to get her groceries, but it was hard on her 
after her husband died.  So, Mike and Christine convinced her she had to move 
out of the Chicago winters.  Christine flew to Missouri and bought her mother a 
house so she could be closer to their brother, Arno.  Mike brought in a moving 
truck, loaded up her things, and relocated her.  Soon, Christine’s mother found 
herself living in a single story house with a yard for her dog.  It was an 
amazing thing for a daughter to do, when she lived across the country in 
California.  Having Arno close by was an even bigger gift.  Christine helped her 
mother with new furnishings and sent her clothing and care packages once she was 
settled into her new home.  
	Christine was an avid reader all her life.  She taught the girls how to 
read before they went to school.  In fact, Lorie remembers sitting with her mom 
at the kitchen table reading Dr. Seuss.  She was so excited when a new book 
would come in the mail.  Christine nurtured her daughters’ interest in reading.  
Personally, she loved to read mysteries.  You can see from the books that align 
the shelf in her bedroom.  She also taught the kids about being fiscally 
responsible.  When Christine got her first Master Charge credit card, she went 
to The Green Thumb Garden Supply Store and bought some items.  When the $800 
bill arrived in the mail, she cut up that credit card with scissors.  She told 
her children: 
	“Don’t pay in credit, only pay in cash what you can afford.”  
	An early lesson, from a wise woman.  She also taught them about earning 
your keep and being a hard worker.  Laziness was not tolerated.  Jeany and Lorie 
had chores as kids, they couldn’t just sit around.  Instead, they’d go outside 
and pull weeds or do some tasks.  But, Christine balanced their lives with fun.  
The three of them took oil painting lessons from a woman who taught classes out 
of her house.  Christine’s oil paintings are here today.  She loved painting 
landscapes whenever she had the time.  She not only had a big love of animals, 
but a big love of nature as well.
	Jeany fondly remembers their mother Christine pulling the girls around the 
neighborhood in a little wagon, a Red Flyer.  While they’d go on their special 
walks, the trio or sometimes the quartet, which included Mike, would sing “High 
Hopes” together.  
	Christine certainly shared high hopes.  And, whenever her girls had a 
problem, she tried to help them with it.  Lorie says when she was in 7th or 8th 
grade, there were kids throwing spit wads at each other and at her.   So, 
Christine taught her how to make paper bullets, by folding up the paper tight, 
bending it in half, and using a rubber band to keep it together.  Her mother 
advised her, “Roll them tight or they won’t sting the boys.”  Christine set 
Lorie up with her own Sucrets Box filled with the paper bullets and off to 
school she went.  It wasn’t long before the project met success…and soon after, 
Lorie met with the Principal.  She explained that her mother was her adviser on 
the project.  The Principal and Christine talked on the phone.  A little later, 
Lorie had to give up her Sucrets Box.  
	Christine was quite spirited always coming up with ideas.  She loved to 
throw parties.  They had barbeques at their first home in Canoga Park when Mike 
was active in the Van Nuys Airport Optimist Club.  They had special parties for 
holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, but she also liked giving special 
birthday parties for the girls.  At one of Jeany’s early birthdays, the kids 
played a game where they would sit on balloons and break them.  Little Lorie who 
was only about 2 years old at the time, ran around crying because all the 
balloons were popping and making noise.  Christine had to console little Lorie.
	There were only a few trips that Mike and Christine would take without the 
kids.  They would go to Las Vegas on special wedding anniversaries.  Then, there 
were a few couples trips.  On one of those trips to San Francisco with other 
couples, the group went out to get hamburgers and beer.  Christine and her 
friend, June, were chatting and having fun so they kept asking for more drinks.  
By the time they were done, June says, they drank 10 big mugs of beer in 10 
minutes without realizing it.  They had a good time together.  June remembers 
Christine would read her book while June would do her cross stitch when they’d 
go out on the boats.  The 8 of them loved doing things together like Cruises.  
	Ollie and Frank Guyon shared trips with Christine and Mike as well.  Ollie 
says it simply:  Christine loved life and lived life at its best.  She had style 
and grace and people gravitated to her.  Christine was artistically talented and 
she was the one who would decorate the furniture showrooms and added beautiful 
fresh flowers.  Ollie and Christine shared private moments on trips, by the 
lake.  They’d have conversations about the business, but also personal moments 
about grandchildren, books they liked, and cooking.  Throughout the 30 or so 
years of friendship, they will always remember Mike and Christine as kindred 
spirits, side-by-side through everything.  Mike loved Christine so much.  
Together, they were something really special.  There are many fond memories of 
those travels.
	On other vacations, it was the family of four that enjoyed the boating 
trips, Lake Powell, San Francisco, and Big Bear amongst others.  When you ask 
them about vacations, each one has a separate story.  Like the time the 
sandstorm came up out of nowhere.  Or, the time when the new boat broke down and 
they spent their two week vacation waiting in Stockton and then San Francisco 
for replacement parts for a stripped drive shaft. Through it all, Christine 
never complained.  She’d just have another cup of coffee and take it all in 
stride.  She knew Mike would handle it and it would always work out.  She was 
always prepared with food like cold cuts and sandwiches.  The whole family has 
fond memories of their vacations, because vacation time was very important.  In 
fact, Mike and Christine closed down their business for the last two weeks of 
every August so everyone enjoyed a vacation before school would begin for the 
kids again.  Imagine, working with people who encouraged you to take a two week 
vacation no matter what.  It is no surprise that their employees have remained 
dedicated to them for years and years.
	Their General Manager, Sam, has been with them since 1972.  He was a 16 
year old boy living across the street from the business, looking for a job for a 
good reason.  His parents told him, “If you want a car, earn the money 
yourself.”  So, that’s when Sam first went to talk to Mike.  Soon, he was an 
employee and their relationship grew, but Mike and Christine were good at 
balancing the relationship with employees.  Sam learned early on, that Christine 
was the rock for Mike, as she helped make big decisions in the business.  He 
describes Christine as level-headed, compassionate, and yet strong.  Everyone 
loved Christine so much, even though many of their customers spent only a 
limited amount of time with her, they always asked how she was doing.  When Sam 
was talking with a customer in Michigan, the customer told Sam they raised a 
glass to Christine in her honor.  She always left a lasting impression even in a 
busy world.
	Sam led me to Jeanne Donenfeld, who served as a rep for 28 years.  Jeanne 
described Christine as very supportive, someone who would listen to everyone who 
needed an ear.  She also served as a buffer between employees and Mike.  
Christine had a cool calm and she could always offer a way to make things work.  
One time, Jeanne decided to give Christine an award of bravery for working so 
hard in the business and being married to Mike.  It was funny to the employees, 
but they also recognized that they were a team.  A team that would stick 
together, no matter what came their way.  
	Over the years, the business in Van Nuys was so successful, they soon 
outgrew the building, because they were very aggressive.  In 1982, they bought 
their own factory in San Fernando.  Christine and Mike traveled all over the 
country to furniture shows:  San Francisco; High Point, North Carolina; Chicago, 
Illinois; Denver, Colorado.  In fact, Mike and Christine and several of their 
employees would share a house they bought during the High Point, North Carolina 
shows.  You get to know people when you live with them.  They made dinners 
together and did laundry together.  If any of the reps got in trouble or thought 
they did the wrong thing, they’d always go to Christine first for help.  She was 
supportive of the employees.  
	Ask their Office Manager, Patricia, who has been with Mike and Christine 
since 1987.  Patricia was amazed at Christine because she knew the names and 
details of her four children.  If it wasn’t for Mike and Christine, Patricia 
would not own the house in North Hills for her family today.  They went out on a 
limb to help out Patricia’s family, not because they had to, but because they 
wanted to.  It was probably Christine’s idea and Mike supported it all the way.  
Patricia remembers Christine’s big heart and her strength of character.  She was 
a wise woman.  Patricia says even though Christine had a long battle with 
cancer, she never complained.  The support to their employees was amazing.  The 
Christmas party was exceptional with caterers, Mariachi bands, and tons of snow 
for the kids.  There is a reason the employees have remained for 20, 25, 30, 35 
years.  They were all treated with respect.   Patricia says everyone is going to 
miss Christine…even her own children will be grateful to Christine because she 
helped put them into a house when it looked like an impossible dream.  Maybe 
because of their European childhoods, maybe because of their early struggles, 
Mike and Christine both recognized when it was time to give back.  A rare 
commodity in today’s world.
	At the height of their Customcraft business they had about 120 employees 
for made to order, fine furniture.  Jeany remembers a lot of gold leaf orders in 
those days.  But, Christine always dealt with the designers as there were many 
projects that needed specific requirements:  From crown moldings to built-in 
bars.  They manufactured amazing custom furniture.  
	Nancy and Eddie Garcia became good friends to Christine and Mike.  In 
fact, Christine and Nancy were like sisters.  Nancy remembers vacations to 
Hawaii where they swam with the dolphins or to Lake Powell or trips to New York.  
She remembers Christine jumping off the houseboat because she just loved to 
swim.  One minute Christine would listen to Elvis Presley music, and the next 
minute she’d listen to Mozart.  She loved all music.  Nancy agrees with Mike 
that Christine had a stubborn streak, but she knew what she liked and she knew 
what she wanted.  She had a strong personality and no matter what she faced, 
forward she would march.  Christine’s pets loved her so much, after one of 
Christine’s surgeries, Nancy came to help.  When Nancy tried to feed the cats, 
she’d have to search for them.  She finally found them near Christine, curled up 
in the middle of many stuffed animals on the sofa.  Those cats loved Christine.  
Nancy had many words to describe Christine:  She was endearing, sweet, honest, 
and caring.  They don’t come like that anymore and everybody loved her.  
	One of the funny stories Nancy shared was about Christine when she came 
from Germany.  She only had 15 cents in her pocket when she arrived at one of 
the airports, and she still had to buy a ticket to New York but didn’t have 
enough money.  Eventually, someone loaned her the money for the next flight so 
she could meet with Mike.  Decades later when Nancy and Christine went to the 
airport to pick up Mike and Eddie, Mike was carrying a sign that said:
“15 Cents to New York.”   He remembered.  Nancy will miss Christine very much, 
but she cherishes the memories they shared over the years.  Mike and Christine 
worked really hard, but they also liked to have fun.
	In better times, Christine loved to go shopping for clothes:  Clothes for 
the girls, clothes for herself…even clothes for Mike.  She had such a good eye, 
she would buy Mike‘s clothing without him being there to try them on.  Not an 
easy task.
	Mike remembers how Christine encouraged him in every endeavor.  When they 
looked at all the RV lots in Palm Springs, she finally said, “Go Buy it!”  Mike 
returned to the office to negotiate and finally returned to Christine with the 
news:  He bought the RV Lot and got a golf cart thrown in for free!  
	If you look around the house, you’ll also see the cream of the collector’s 
crop.  There are hundreds of Llardo figurines from Spain, hand-chosen by 
Christine.  In fact, she was a 20 year member of the club and would have first 
choice at preview showings.  She was a collector of the Llardos and also stuffed 
animals representing her love of all animals.
	In her free time, she also loved sunbathing, which is surprising, because 
being fair skinned sunbathing isn’t always a perfect choice.  But, Christine was 
an exception because even though she loved the sun, she had beautiful skin.  She 
loved going to the beach and going on Cruises with her family.  She loved simply 
sitting in this yard, her backyard…the yard she designed.  Mike remembers her 
sitting down with the architect and advising him exactly how to design this 
beautiful backyard.  Her love of animals is also obvious in the midst of the 
beauty of this yard - because as you look around, you see bird feeders 
everywhere.  She watched the birds from her bedside by the rose garden.  She 
enjoyed it, as the birds played in the fountain.  They bought a 40 pound bag of 
birdseed every week for the birds and Mike will continue to do so in memory of 
Christine’s love for her birds.  
	She always loved animals.  The family remembers the cats and dogs over the 
years.  Mike says he liked German Shepherds and she liked Siberian Huskies.  
After the bigger dogs passed on, they didn’t have dogs for quite a while after 
that.  They eventually brought Freddy, the cockatiel into their lives.  
Christine would call him “pretty bird” or “cutie-pie” and that’s how he learned 
to talk.  For a bird, he has quite a vocabulary, thanks to Christine.  The dogs, 
Tiny and Rosy, also joined the family.  Rosy is the dog who sat on Christine’s 
lap, more like a cat, than a dog.   She loved her animals.
	Lorie says her mother’s love of animals trickled down to her.  On their 
Montana property, she and her husband have 2 dogs, 1 cat, goats, and a horse.  
Lorie says her mother treated her animals like children and would talk to them 
like little people and they loved her for it.  Beyond the love of animals, Lorie 
also believes she inherited her mother’s independent spirit, encouraged by both 
her parents to pursue her own interests, even if it meant leaving the state.  
Lorie has always felt secure in finding her own dreams, knowing her parents and 
Jeany were only a phone call away.  When Lorie finds the time, she even does 
some painting, just like her mother.
	As a child, Jeany remembers believing their father was strong, but later 
in life, she figured out it was her mother who was the backbone of the family.  
Mike agreed with a smile by saying: “Remember, behind every good man is a good 
woman.”  
	Throughout her life, Christine appreciated the talents of several stars.  
She loved the singing talents of Frank Sinatra along with the screen talents of 
Ronald Reagan.  Remember it was Ronald Reagan June 12th, 1987, who delivered his 
famous speech to the people of West Berlin, yet his words echoed on the East 
side of the Berlin Wall.  Those famous words would resonate when Reagan 
delivered his powerful message:  “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”  A full 
section of the Berlin Wall is on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential 
Library and Museum in Simi Valley.  Christine admired Ronald Reagan for his 
strength, personality, and charisma.  We are reminded that there are many words 
to describe Christine:  Tenacious, supportive, loving, and compassionate, but 
most importantly, Christine was Mike’s very best friend in life.
	Over the last 15 years, life was not easy for Christine.  Cancer is not 
easy.  In 1991, Mike brought roses, her favorite flower, to the hospital for 
Valentine’s Day.  She would be in and out of the hospital many times over the 
next decade.  Christine was very independent and anything that interrupted that 
spirit was very frustrating to her.  But, she didn’t complain; even after 7 
surgeries and the chronic pain.  Together, Mike and Christine managed to get 
through.  
	She was hospitalized at Cedar Sinai hospital when the Riots occurred in 
1992, but somehow they got home safely.  In 1994, when the Northridge Earthquake 
occurred, the front door jammed shut and there was glass all over the house, so 
Mike got out his furniture pads and carried Christine to safety out of the 
house.  They slept in their truck with a camper shell for the next three days, 
listening to news about the earthquake on the portable radio.  After the 
earthquake, the Garcias, Homers, and Guyons surprised the couple when they 
showed up one day wearing T-Shirts that said:  Pfaff’s Wrecking Crew.  Their 
friends stayed for a week helping them clean up the house they were selling at 
the time and the new house.  Ollie even woke up to an aftershock and went into 
June’s bedroom and asked to crawl into their bed with them because the 
aftershock scared Ollie.  That’s when June reminded Ollie:  “It’s a twin bed!”
	Somehow, the group would share a laugh in the middle of chaos.  Meanwhile, 
Mike and Christine would stick with each other, no matter what happened…as their 
wedding vows promised, “Til Death Do Us Part.”  
	Three weeks before her death, in her feisty spirit, she told her doctor at 
Holy Cross that she was going to beat it.  One week later, she told her doctor 
she wanted to be at home.  She wanted to go with dignity, her way, surrounded by 
family, friends, and her animals.  You’ve got to respect that.  There is a 
comfort zone at home that there isn’t at the hospital and she had been in too 
many hospitals.  
	At home, she spent her time chit-chatting with Maria, who remembers her 
Christine with a tear in her eye.  Christine was like a second mother to Maria.  
Mike and Jeany spent time with Christine by her bedside and Lorie flew in from 
Montana to spend time with her mother.  Although she couldn’t really talk toward 
the end, she knew Lorie was there and had a smile for her.  
	Arno also made the trip from Missouri to see Christine a few weeks before 
she passed away.  Arno says he treasures the trip, because they had good 
conversations and she still had a good sense of humor.  She even ate his cooking 
and he’s known for burning soft-boiled eggs.  After he returned home to 
Missouri, he called several times and she joked, “Arno, I miss your cooking!”  
Arno will remember Christine for the determined, strong-willed woman she was in 
life and despite a difficult childhood, she rose above it and had a real love 
for her family, friends, and animals.  
	At the end of the day, Christine always told them, “I love you.”   Those 
words are a comfort here today.  At the end of this month, Christine and Mike 
would have shared their 50th wedding anniversary.	
	In her final days, Christine became more spiritual and more interested in 
angels and the concept of angels.  She was spiritual in her own way.  Jeany felt 
mom knew the end was near and was preparing for that time.
	If there is anyone here today who would like to share a story or a memory 
of Christine, you are invited to do so at this time.  If you haven’t prepared 
something in writing, please keep your comments focused on the moment at hand.  
You are welcome to come forward at this time.

	If there is anyone else who would like to come forward to share a moment, 
please do so.

	Arrangements were made with the Neptune Society and Christine’s ashes were 
scattered at sea at a location off of San Pedro.  It is the way she wanted it.    
	There have been questions about donations in her honor:  Donations are 
welcome, in her memory, to the American Cancer Society or Trinity Care Hospice.
	Finally, as we remember Christine, we remember her titles in life:  
Daughter, sister, loving wife, mother, grandmother, and  friend.  We think of 
her sitting and sipping her coffee.  We think of her eating lobster while on a 
cruise.  We remember that she liked the Seashell Restaurant up on Ventura 
Boulevard.  We remember her sitting in her yard by this pool, enjoying the day.  
We remember Christine sitting at the kitchen window, watching the birds and 
squirrels.  Some of the bird feeders here today, Mike made especially for his 
Christine.
	In honor of her life and her love of animals, the family would like to 
provide bird seed in memory of Christine to be shared with the birds in your 
yard or in the park.  Christine would have liked it that way.  
	In her strength and resolve, Christine shared one clear message with 
everyone in her life, whether it was her children, her husband, her friends, or 
employees:  “You can accomplish anything you want to do.”
	A good, solid piece of advice from a woman who inherited her father’s 
spirit, her father’s independence.
	Arno spent the last few weeks putting together the prelude and postlude 
used at the service today.  Set to Classical Music, it details Christine’s life 
through pictures.  It an amazing testament to how she lived her life.

	As we conclude our service, the family thanks you for coming today.  In 
closing, we honor Christine for her independent spirit, we remember her the way 
she would have wanted it: With one of her favorite songs:  Frank Sinatra’s, “My 
Way.”