Christine Deehan

Christine (Chris) P. Deehan

March 17, 1949 - July 27, 2022

On July 27th we lost a very special wife, mother, and friend as Chris passed away prematurely at home with her family and friends by her side. She leaves behind her husband (Jerry) and two children (Jerry Jr. and Corinne) as well as numerous friends and extended family. While this is an incredibly sad time for all of those who knew and loved Chris, she will always be remembered for her extraordinary work ethic, altruistic nature, and infectious enthusiasm for life.

Chris was an incredibly hard worker who never met an insurmountable task. As a young adult, she balanced the responsibilities of a stay-at-home mother of school age children with going back to college. She first attended Gloucester County Community College moving on to earn her Bachelor's (Business Management) and Master's (Public Relation) degrees from Rowan University (then Glassboro State College). Following graduation, she accepted a position in the President's office at Glassboro State College which eventually led to her promotion as the Director of University Events for Rowan University, her "dream job." She took great pride in planning a wide range of functions that included lectures by diplomats and celebrities, concerts, inaugural ceremonies associated with university growth, and perhaps most importantly, the "party" she got to throw for "12,000+ people" each Spring to celebrate the academic accomplishments of the graduates at convocation. Throughout the many years Chris spent in the academic setting, she made numerous life-long friendships that she continued to cherish into her retirement that began in 2015.

Chris possessed a truly selfless nature. Over the course of 20+ years, she served in varying capacities with Samaritan Hospice. More recently, Chris was a mainstay at the neonatal intensive care unit at Cooper hospital on Saturdays where she would cuddle newborns. While we cannot recall a story in which she gave someone the "shirt off her back," Chris did give away the kitchen table and chairs to a family in need without warning leaving her own family somewhat confused as to where they would be eating dinner. As her final act of giving, Chris donated her body to science so that others could potentially benefit from her passing.

In her spare time, Chris enjoyed gardening, traveling, reading, clamming, spending time with friends and family, knitting and crocheting, as well as cooking (especially baking and making desserts). Always on the go, she actively sought opportunities for personal development, most recently working to become a yoga instructor. However, what she enjoyed the most was making people happy, whether that was preparing their favorite dish, sending a positive note or a care package, or simply doing something to make them smile. She will be greatly missed by all those who loved her and will forever be held in our hearts and memories for the beautiful person she was and the positive influence she had, and will continue to have, on our lives.

A memorial in celebration of the life of Chris is being planned for the near future. In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating to one of the following charities in her honor:

https://nicuhelpinghands.org/ways-to-give/

https://nicuwarriorfoundation.org/products/donation-various-amounts

https://give.themmrf.org/give/278264/#!/donation/checkout