Marisa Christina Digati

Christina "Reese" was born Marisa Christina Digati on Sept. 30, 1986. Raised in Bristol and Warren, R.I., she later moved to Connecticut, where she was graduated from New Fairfield High School and then trained as an auto mechanic at the Porter and Chester Institute.

A talented polymath, Reese's philosophy was: "If it's humanly possible, I happen to be human, so it's possible." Since childhood, her insatiable curiosity and resourcefulness led her to wear many hats and learn a myriad of skills that included art, glass blowing, plumbing and electrical work, playing multiple instruments and flying a plane. The most amazing of her limitless skills was the ability to know exactly how to help anyone in need.

Reese acquired a large extended family of fellow travelers during her years of exploring the continental U.S. while living on her school bus, "Buttercup," which received national notoriety during the Columbus, Ohio, George Floyd protests. Reese and her friends were detained by the police for providing food, water and first aid to protestors who suffered from injuries, heat stroke and tear gas exposure until the bus was wrongfully impounded. Buttercup became the controversial subject of many news articles, social media posts and even a syndicated cartoon.

Reese was a true humanitarian, offering her services as a mechanic to stranded travelers, and providing food, shelter and transportation to many friends and their dogs. She had a generous spirit, giving whatever she could even when her own pockets were empty.

On Jan. 4, 2025, at home in Cherryfield, Maine, a seizure suddenly ended Reese's full 38 years of life. She is survived by her mother, Paula Ann DiGati (spouse, Dr. Kenneth S. Uhnak), of Winter Harbor, Maine; her grandmother, Olinda S. Digati; and her sister, Hoshaiah Barczynski.

She was predeceased by her father, Izaak W.T. Hughes, her grandparents, Joyce and Thomas Hughes, and her grandfather, Joseph L. Digati.

Reese will be mourned by her aunts, Linda Hughes Belford (spouse, Linda Belford), Maria Prezioso (spouse, Tom Prezioso) and Raquel Digati; her niece, Alma; her partner, Oz, her beloved dog, Loki, and her vast tribe of loved ones across the country.
Memorial gatherings in Maine and Rhode Island will be announced in the near future. Please honor Reese by continuing her generosity. Donate to your local food bank, be kind to each other, learn a new skill, embrace the present, treat every day as a new adventure, and her spirit will live on in you.