Obituary of Dorothea Christie

Dorothea Christie, 76, of Lloyd Harbor, NY passed away on Saturday, June 15, 2024, after battling stage 4 cancer for twenty-seven months with grace and courage. No matter the difficult circumstances, Dorothea encouraged many by greeting each day with her steadfast faith in God and her sweetness of spirit and disposition.

Dorothea was born on April 30, 1948, in Waldbröl, Germany, and emigrated with her parents, Kurt and Gertrud Stoffel, to the United States in 1954. While they set off to explore a new life in America, they also left behind loving family in Germany, who continued to play a great role in their lives irrespective of physical location.

Dorothea received both her Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Education from Queens College of the City University of New York, and then taught third to sixth grade in the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School System from 1972 until 1984, when her daughter, Rebecca, was born. Once Rebecca was old enough to start school, Dorothea returned to teaching at the Step-By-Step Nursery School in Dix Hills and taught there for over a decade. Upon retiring from teaching, Dorothea spent her days enjoying the company of, and helping care for, her elderly parents.

Dorothea and Warren Christie met on a blind date on May 15, 1966, and the two rapidly fell in love and quickly became inseparable. On September 1, 1968, the two wed and were married for over fifty-five years, with the union ended only by Dorothea's death.

Dorothea adored her family. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. "Mom" and "Nana" were among her favorite names. Her treasured friends – including friends from junior high school days to fellow teachers who have regularly gotten together and shared the joys and heartbreaks that visit every human life – are also her family. Dorothea also loved her spiritual family, and was an active participant in her Church, most recently at the North Shore Community Church in Oyster Bay for over twenty years. She was greatly encouraged by, as well as an encourager of, her many friends there. Dorothea knew that this is God's world, under His sovereign and providential care, and lived each day with that joyful assurance of God's care and faith of God's purpose for her despite her great trials – right to the very end.

Dorothea loved to make everything around her beautiful, both through her love of decorating and laughter. Dorothea enjoyed spending time in Naples, Florida and Woodstock, Vermont, in addition to her native home of Germany, where many of her beloved relatives still reside.

Dorothea is survived by her husband of fifty-five years, Warren Christie; her daughter, Rebecca Macfie; son-in-law, Jeremy Macfie; and her precious grandchildren, Charlotte, Eleanor (Ellie), and Weston Macfie; and countless other cherished family and friends. She would want each of you that played a supportive role in her life to know how much she appreciated you. Her family, missing her deeply, thanks each of you and sends their love.

A memorial church service will be held at 10:30am on August 3rd , 2024, at North Shore Community Church in Oyster Bay, NY (213 South St., Oyster Bay, NY 11771), followed by a Celebration of Life luncheon in Huntington, NY at 12:30pm. Please feel free to contact the family for any further details.

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:16-18