Obituary of Christine Marvin Singer

Christine Marvin Singer, 55, of Washington DC Chris passed away suddenly and peacefully on Monday morning April14, 2014, due to pneumonia at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring MD. In addition to her parents, Frank and Shirley Marvin of Arlington VA, Chris is survived by her: husband of 11 years Henry Singer; daughter Lorainne Kelly (David) of Reston VA; grandchildren Adrian, Karma, and Dakota; sister Renee Papadoupoulos (Nick) of Santa Barbara CA; nieces Maya and Elia; brother Frank Marvin Jr. (Sally) of Great Falls VA; nephews Will and Luke; and many other relatives and friends. Chris was born on July 1, 1958, at George Washington University Hospital in Washington DC. Raised in Arlington VA, her childhood years were enriched by her many cousins. She loved family, family gatherings, and reunions where she could see many relatives and had fond memories of holidays and old world customs and rituals at her grandparents' house. Family and friends remember Chris for her candor, generosity, sense of humor, adventurousness, and gentle spirit. She had a wide range of interests: swimming, photography, the ocean, road trips, animals, nature, food, theater, cross word puzzles, extended family, and reading. A natural swimmer, she loved water. At 11 she was on a synchronized swim team and recently was in a water aerobics class. She was an avid photographer and served as the self-appointed family photographer. As comfortable as she was taking pictures of others, she often recoiled at having her own picture taken. She loved "big water," especially the warm temperature ocean in Myrtle Beach SC where her family often vacationed. Just last summer she spent many hours swimming in the ocean at Del ray Beach FL. She loved road trips, having traveled to the 48 contiguous States by age 20. Earlier this year, she enjoyed a trip to Myrtle Beach in January and to the Blue Ridge foothills in early April. She usually found a way to wind up on a National Scenic Byway for portions of a trip. She was passionate about animals, especially wolves. She loved cats and had three as pets: Spice, Baby, and Max, now all in cat heaven. Every day, she would sit on our porch that is enclosed with sliding glass doors and revel in the beauty and antics of squirrels, chipmunks, and deer as well as, at night, the occasional raccoon, or a fox strutting down the middle of the street like he owned it. On two occasions she was excited to see a coyote which she dutifully reported to the Rock Creek Park official who keeps track of such sightings. Even insects were safeguarded by her. Though allergic to bee stings, she would capture and release bees if they got onto the porch. She gave generously to the Humane Society of the United States and Wolf Haven International. She also enjoyed hiking and camping. She was a very adventurous eater and a fine cook. She quickly assimilated into Henry's New Orleans family. She instantly loved mufflaletta sandwiches, po boys, and boiled crawfish. She was equally comfortable eating boudin and hot cracklins from T-Boy's in Cajun country on the hood of the car, or dining at national class restaurants. She loved all ethnic foods, especially Thai. The stuffed cabbages she made were legendary. Chris and her friend, Kathy, from childhood were season ticket holders to Arena Stage for almost 30 years. And she went to Hexagon's satirical review for almost 30 years. Her love of music was eclectic, ranging from classical to country. As a preteen she played the piano quite well. She retired from the General Services Administration in August 2012 after a 32 year career supporting GSA's buildings programs in a variety of roles. She was currently on the Board of Directors of the GSA Federal Credit Union, serving as Treasurer. She had a keen ability to critique policies, processes, procedures, and systems and to suggest improvements to make them more practical or effective. She was very determined, and took great pride in earning a bachelor's degree from George Mason University after 12 years of night/weekend classes while a young single mom working full time. Consistent with her business degree in decision sciences, she was a numbers person, always making sure the analytics were correct. All are welcome to a celebration of Chris' life and repast on Friday May 9, 2014, at 12:30 PM at River Bend Country Club, 375 Walker Road, Great Falls VA 22066. Online memories may be left at this website. Those wishing to share more than memories may contribute in her name to any animal welfare charity.