DR. CHRISTOPHER MCAREE

DR. CHRISTOPHER MCAREE - STOWE - Dr. Christopher McAree, 82, of Stowe, died peacefully on July 29, 2015, at his home. He was born on Nov. 16, 1932, in Armagh, Northern Ireland, the son of Francis and Margaret (nee O'Donnell) McAree. Chris graduated from Queens University in Belfast receiving medical training in pediatrics, surgery and neurology, followed by post-graduate work at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in London, and McGill University in Montreal where he completed his medical degree and residency. In Canada, Chris heard a radio story that would change the course of his life. A French nurse named Liliane Ruche had worked to save a sick passenger aboard a ship bound for Montreal. As fate would have it, Chris met the vivacious nurse, married her shortly thereafter - and they remained lovingly together for 50 years, until Lili's death in 2010. Chris left Canada for the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1962 where he worked for 30 years as a clinician and professor. He held various roles at UVM including Associate Chair of the Department of Psychiatry; Director of Undergraduate Medical Education; Director of Crisis Services and Coordinator of the Clinical Core in Psychiatry. Dr. McAree loved his patients and his students. He also had a strong interest in structural anthropology and sociology in relation to drugs and collaborated extensively with the Sociology Department, publishing a number of scientific papers on drug abuse. Chris pursued this passion during a sabbatical from UVM in the early '70s in Paris where he studied with renowned anthropologist, Claude Levi Strauss. Chris was a warm, loving husband, father and grandfather who possessed unwavering curiosity, a quick Irish wit, and a kind, gentle spirit. He was a voracious reader, history buff, and in healthier days, enjoyed many weekends skiing in Stowe. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Lili, in 2010; and leaves behind four very devoted children who will miss him dearly, Francoise and husband, Karl Abrahamson, of Providence, R.I.; Patrice and wife, Mira (nee Lee), and children, Luke and Ava, of New Canaan, Conn.; Dominique and wife, Marybeth (nee Bennis), and son, Nicolas, of Manhattan Beach, Calif.; and Veronique and husband, David Leith, of Yarmouth, Maine, and their children, Francis and Violet. Chris also leaves his sister, Margaret Mary Shutka of Canada; sister-in-law, Madeleine Ruche of France; as well as many nephews, nieces and friends. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2015, at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Stowe, followed by a burial at Riverbank Cemetery. Faith Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. Online condolences may be made by visiting faithfh.net. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Lamoille Home Health and Hospice, 54 Farr Ave., Morrisville, VT 05661.