Christy grew up in Beaver, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh with her three sisters, Judy, Nancy, and Kate. Her father was a lab tech for St. Joe Lead Company. He died at the age of 38, and up until then, her mother was a stay-at-home mother and housewife. After his passing, she worked as a part-time mail carrier and then full time in the shipping department for Westinghouse Electric Company to support her four daughters. Christy smiles as she reminisces about her childhood, sharing that she and her sisters had a wonderful time growing up in Pennsylvania. They would venture out on horseback rides around their farm, spend time boating on the river, and loved to water ski. Although Christy is the youngest by only 13 months, their mother decided to start Kate and Christy in kindergarten at the same time. Because she was in the same grade as her sister, the two grew up very close, but also very competitive.

Christy graduated from Beaver Area High School, and continued her education in a variety of focused areas. She first received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Duquesne University, then went on to get a Master of Science in Nursing at Pitt University, and finally decided to pursue a Juris Doctorate at Widener University. Christy has always been a hard worker, from her first job in a beauty shop washing hair and helping the stylists to working as a waitress and working in a nursing home as she navigated nursing school. She built her career as a lawyer and is now a Magistrate Judge for Fayette County.

While working in the Nursing Department at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA, Christy went on a blind date with a man named Fred who worked in the Dental Department. They were set up by a mutual friend in the Psych Department. The rest is history, and the two married in 1985. Their marriage brought Christy two stepchildren, Krista and Erik. Krista is married with two daughters living in Marietta and Erik just recently got married and lives in Kailua, Hawaii. One of Fred and Christy’s favorite things to do together is ballroom dance. They started dance classes 5 years ago at Rachel’s Dance Connection and go every Sunday to hit the dance floor. Christy also loves to attend concerts at the Fred, read crime mysteries, and rescue animals. She currently has 4 cats that she has rescued.

For years, Christy has been coming to the center for the monthly Fayette County Bar Association luncheon that the center hosts. But the thing that drew her most to volunteering with FSS was from a realization made while helping her mother. “I cared for my mother in her last few years of life until she died at age 94. It was the best education of my life regarding understanding people and values. I also helped my husband teach and coordinate the senior Sunday School class for many years. During these times, I realized that my giveback focus is on seniors. With that focus, I looked for someplace I could volunteer that would benefit seniors. It led me to FSS,” shared Christy. Since she’s been volunteering, she has built a new appreciation for the community, saying that the best part of volunteering is seeing the dedication of the volunteers she works around and the warmth and friendliness of members. When talking about volunteering, Christy says, “Jump in and get involved. Don’t only volunteer, but also get involved and participate in some of the activities. It will make you feel more connected!” We are thankful that Christy decided to get connected here at FSS and are so happy that she is part of our volunteer family!