West Boylston teacher, gifted soprano
Christine R. Lewis-Quinn, 51, of 17 Pinewood Drive, West Boylston, and Still River, passed away unexpectedly Feb. 23, 2013.
Born Aug. 28, 1961, to Francis “Tom” St. Denis and Rita (Cox) St. Denis, Christine leaves her husband, Dennis Quinn, of Still River; her twin daughters—the center of her life and of whom she was most proud—Kerri and Kristin Lewis of West Boylston; her parents Rita and Tom of Auburn; and her brother Thomas and his wife Daelte of Rowayton, Conn. She leaves many nieces and nephews and many students and colleagues whom she valued as “extended family.”
Christine graduated from Auburn High School and held bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and education from Worcester State University. Following in her father’s footsteps, Christine served for over twenty years as an educator in the Worcester Public Schools, where she taught English at Doherty High School for most of that time. In many ways, she was actively involved in the lives of her students as a beloved and much admired teacher, mentor, role-model, advisor, and friend. For the past few years, she had also been an adjunct professor at Worcester State University.
A gifted soprano, Christine frequently sang at weddings and funerals for area churches. She passionately loved all the arts, but most especially Broadway musicals and Shakespearean plays. “Romeo and Juliet” was her favorite play, all the major parts of which she knew forward and backward, as any number of her students over the years can attest. Along with her husband, she was an active member of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, and the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
In addition to her love of the arts, Christine possessed a deep and abiding love of nature in all its forms and variations. She enjoyed vacations on Cape Cod and in Kennebunk, Maine. She especially treasured her vacations on Lake Huron in Ontario, and, of course, on Bare Hill Pond.
A Funeral Mass was held Saturday, March 2, at St. John the Evangelist Church, 80 Union St., Clinton. A private burial followed at Bellevue Cemetery.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, those who would like to honor Christine’s memory can make a donation to Abbey’s House, 52 High St., Worcester, MA 01609 or to the Worcester Animal Rescue League, 139 Holden St., Worcester, MA 01606.
