Christina Maria Hagard Miller

After a challenging and brave battle with a rare neurodegenerative disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob's Disease, Maria Christina Hagard Miller, 63, passed away on Wednesday, May 24 in Santa Cruz, California surrounded by loved ones.

Christina was born on March 12, 1960 to Ingemar and Anne-Marie Hagard in Habo, Sweden. She grew up in a small Swedish farm town with her sister, Karin, and brother, Hakan. In her early life, Christina carried the responsibility of looking after her siblings while her parents worked hard on the farm. Christina was a well loved friend and with a beautiful soul, spirit, and presence she was selected to be the school's Lucia by her school mates. In Swedish tradition, Lucia wears a candle wreath and a white gown and represents a bearer of light, hope, and joy in the dark Swedish winters. This role was fitting for Christina because she had the ability to light up any room and fill it with energy, a trait she carried throughout her life. After graduating from high school, Christina set out to explore the world.

Christina fell in love with international relations and humanitarian work, which influenced her move to North Africa. In 1981, she met Joel Miller in Algeria as they served in the same church and had the same passion for adventure and spirituality. Christina and Joel were married for 35 years and had four beautiful children, Zacharias, Josef, Rebecca, and Tobias. As Christina liked to share, she gave birth in three different countries (Tunisia, Sweden, and Morocco) and in four different languages (Arabic, French, Swedish, and English).

Not only was Christina a devoted mom to all four of her children, she graduated from Stanislaus California State University and became a French Teacher in 2003. She taught high school French at Pitman High School in Turlock, California and Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill, California. Over the years, she took numerous students to Europe introducing them to travel, culture, and the unique diversity of humankind. Christina's students had an outpouring of love after learning about her illness. Many students stated that Madame (as they referred to her) was one of the first adults who made them feel safe and valued as an individual. Christina made strong connections with her colleagues, and this was evident by the amount of support and love that she received as her illness unfolded over the last six months of her life.

Christina's creativity and passion for living life to the fullest was undeniable to anyone who met her, even for a short period of time. Christina could be found boogie boarding in the ocean after school, joining a drum circle or marimba classes, practicing yoga at the beach, catching a plane to her next destination on her school breaks, water-coloring beautiful landscapes, playing with her grandson, drinking a glass (or two) of Prosecco or Chardonnay, watching comedy, and catching every sunset. She shared the adventure of a lifetime with her family, friends, and strangers. The world lost a generous soul who had the ability to make people feel special.

Christina was preceded in death by her father, Ingemar Hagard.

She is survived by her mother, Anne-Marie Hagard, Sweden; her siblings Karin Bertills and husband Ulf, Sweden, and Hakan Hagard and wife Jessica, Sweden; her former husband, Joel Miller, Santa Cruz, CA; her children, Zacharias Miller and girlfriend Steffi Stumpos, New Castle, CO, Josef Miller and girlfriend Iman Garcia, Scotts Valley, CA, Rebecca Friesen and husband Jake, St. Louis, MO, and Tobias Miller, Santa Cruz, CA; her grandson, Viggo Garcia-Miller, Scotts Valley, CA; nieces and nephews, Craig McLane and his wife Marla, Durham, NC, Scott McLane and his wife Veronica, California, Amy Bowman and her husband Kevin, La Crescenta, CA, Elsa Bertills, Sweden, Mathilda Bertills, Sweden, Frida Widlund and husband Johannes, Sweden, Isak Hagard, Sweden, Benjamin Hagard, Sweden, Hannes Bertills, Sweden, Miranda Berggren, Sweden, and Elias Hagard, Sweden.

Please join Christina's family for celebration of life at The Aptos Village County Park, 100 Aptos Creek Rd, Aptos, CA 95003, at 2:00pm on Sunday June 25.