Christine Ann Quinn Noonan

Christine Ann Quinn Noonan Chatham - Christine Ann Quinn Noonan, 79, of Chatham, Massachusetts passed away on December 16.

Christine was born in Worcester on January 18, 1943 to James and Dorothy Quinn. She was raised in Uxbridge, MA and was bestowed with the nickname "Muffin" at an early age. She received her bachelor's degree from Framingham State and her master's degree in early childhood education from Lesley University.

She met Francis Noonan on a blind date in May 1963. The attraction was immediate and their courtship led to marriage lasting 57 years.

Christine's working career was defined by teaching and serving young children and their families. She worked as an elementary school teacher in Northborough for two years before becoming a mother, and then cared for her four children - Margaret, Jim, Mary, and Kate - at home for a dozen plus years. When her youngest child entered school, she decided to create and run her own preschool in Grafton. She named it The Children's School and chose as its symbol a butterfly, capturing the development and blooming of the young child. Her favorite story to read to her class was The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Over ten years, she taught hundreds of young children, gifting each with a homemade banner and personalized poem on their birthday. During two of her summers off from teaching, she travelled to Guatemala with the Maryknoll organization to work with young children. Later, she worked for many years at Pernet Family Health Service as an early childhood educator. During this time, she lived and volunteered with the Little Sisters of Assumption in Worcester.

More recently, she split her time between Cape Cod and Silver City, New Mexico. On Cape Cod, she helped at her local food pantry and tutored adults learning English as a second language. In New Mexico, she volunteered for many years at El Refugio, a shelter for victims of domestic violence. Throughout her life, she was committed to social justice.

Christine was particularly creative, loving art and poetry of all kinds. Each Christmas, she gave family members a homemade ornament representing something of importance to them from that year. She was an avid reader, with a soft spot for murder mysteries. A typical evening included indulging in Friendly's Vienna Mocha Chunk ice cream while watching Law and Order.

Christine made close friends everywhere she lived - including Amherst, Grafton, Worcester, and Chatham, MA; Ann Arbor, MI; and Silver City, NM. She had a kind heart, was a careful listener, and radiated warmth and acceptance.

Christine is preceded in death by her father, her mother, her brother (Jim Quinn), and her Aunt Lena Quinn.

She is survived by her spouse Francis Noonan (of Chatham, MA); her children Margaret (of Yarmouth, MA), Jim and wife Judy (of Westborough, MA), Mary (of Iowa City, IA), and Kate (of Denver, CO); her sister Dorothy Departie (of Grafton, MA); and her grandchildren Henry and Hannah.

Funeral services will be held on April 1 in Chatham, MA. Please email marynoonan1992@gmail.com for details.