Christine Ann Wu-Shepherd

Christine Ann Wu-Shepherd, 54, of El Cerrito, CA, passed away suddenly on December 28, 2022, in Huntington Beach, CA, where she had been vacationing with her husband and children. She could not be revived after suffering a heart attack.

Christine (Crissy) was born on August 8, 1968, in Detroit, MI, the daughter of Ann Wu and Chieh-Cheng (C.C.) Wu. She grew up in Coldwater, MI, graduating in 1986 from Coldwater High School where she ran track, was on the cheerleading team and was class valedictorian. She received her BA in German Studies from Northwestern University in 1990, and her law degree from Notre Dame Law School in 1993.

After law school, Crissy was a staff attorney for Legal Aid of Western Michigan for 5 years, developing close and abiding personal and professional relationships. She then opened her own law practice focused on family and criminal matters, and served as a prosecutor for Ottawa County, MI.

She met her future husband James (Jim) Shepherd in 1995, where they were active in a runners' group at the YMCA in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. Crissy and Jim participated in many sporting events over the years including the 1997 Boston Marathon, which she ran in 3 hours 15 minutes - 7:44/mile! Crissy ran Boston again in 2005.

The couple were married in Grand Rapids in May 1998. Jim's law career took them to Baltimore and then to Annapolis, MD, where their son Benton (Benny) was born in 2002. Before he came along, Crissy worked as a staff attorney with Maryland Legal Aid in Easton, MD. She took to being a mama and treasured her lively and supportive parent group in Annapolis.

The family moved to California in 2006 when Jim accepted a job in San Francisco, and the Bay Area suited them. Crissy enjoyed running in the East Bay Hills and completed the Big Sur and Half Moon Bay Marathons. Twins Max and Camille were born in Berkeley in 2010 - a joyful handful they were!

In the ensuing years, Crissy focused on family and raising her children, volunteering in various capacities at their schools. Then in 2018, she began working for the West Contra Costa County School District as a resource aide. In 2021, she enrolled in a program at Cal. State East Bay supported by WCCSD, where she trained in special education and then taught at Terra Hills Elementary in San Pablo, CA, while pursuing a masters in special education. At the time of her passing, Crissy was a semester away from completing her degree, and was enjoying the challenges and rewards of teaching special education and the tight camaraderie of her Masters candidate cohort and the Terra Hills community.

Crissy loved to bake and was an avid cookbook collector. She shared her "goods" with family, friends and co-workers on special occasions and holidays, and for no reason at all other than she had a generous soul and liked having people eat well.

Above all, Crissy loved her children and her family. She was an accomplished pianist, often playing duets with Max at his recitals; she took great joy in creating all manner of art with Camille, cheered from the sidelines at the kids' soccer games over many years, read aloud to the family at nighttime and offered unfailing support to her kids through their various trials and triumphs.

Crissy is survived by her husband Jim and their children Benny, Max and Camille, all of El Cerrito, CA; her parents Ann and C.C. Wu of Naples, FL; her brother Scott Wu and his wife Melissa Wu of Ball Ground, GA; and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.

A reception will be held for family and friends in the parish hall at All Souls Episcopal Church, 2220 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA 94709 on Friday, January 13 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the church, same location, on Saturday, January 14 at 10:00 a.m., with lunch to follow on-site. Arrangements are being made to Zoom the funeral. In lieu of flowers may we suggest a contribution to your local Legal Aid Society office, in Crissy's memory.