Obituary
            Christina V. Wilson (76) of Pearl River died on October 28, 2023 at her home in Pearl River surrounded by loving family. She was affectionately known as Chris, Mom, Aunt Chris, and Grandma. She touched the lives of many people and will forever remain in our hearts.
            She was born November 1, 1946 in Passaic, NJ to John and Julia Vargo. Christina was raised in Garfield, NJ and graduated from Garfield High School in 1964. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University in 1968.  Her first job after graduating college was as the Food Science Teacher at Bergen County Vocational and Technical HS in Hackensack, NJ. It was there she first met Harry who was a substitute teacher at the school. She later earned a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Mercy College.
            On October 24, 1971 she married Harry Wilson at St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Cathedral in Passaic, NJ. Christina was a supportive military wife while Harry served as a United States Air Force medic. As a medic, Harry was blessed to have learned the skills to provide loving care for Christina these past couple of years. They recently celebrated 52 years of marriage. 
            She lived in Pearl River for the past 23 years. Before that, she lived in South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. Christina worked in human resources for Avon in Suffern for 21 years before joining Harry in retirement. 
            Locally, she was very involved with The Church of St. Aedan. Her Catholic Faith was a source of her inspiration and powerful inner strength.  She was the head of several ministries within the Church of St. Aedan, including Martha’s Ministry, the Garden Ministry, and the Parish Ministry.
            Christina had a deep love for her family and enjoyed hosting family gatherings on St. Patrick’s Day, July 4th, and Thanksgiving. She will be remembered as a loving Grandma. Christina was renowned for her selfless behavior and kind approach. She was a terrific conversationalist and possessed an incredible amount of wisdom. She respected all those around her and treated them with empathy. Christina had a warm sense of humor that complemented her tender nature. She paid attention to all details, large and small. 
            Christina took great joy in the simple pleasures life offered her. She was very passionate about gardening. She got peace from the countless birds that visited her in the garden. She expanded her knowledge at every opportunity. She loved to read various works of literature including the Bible, mysteries, comics, and history. A crossword puzzle was completed daily. She loved writing stories and letters to her grandchildren. She demonstrated her skills in her sewing, knitting, and everything creative.  She loved making crafts with her grandchildren and teaching a life lesson alongside it. She was an avid fan of movies, film, and television. She enjoyed black and white, classic, foreign, detective mysteries, comedy, amongst many others. 
            Christina is survived by her loving husband, Harry, her sons Daniel (Jennifer) and James, her sisters Katherine and Caroline (Joe), nieces Rebecca and Sarah, and her beloved grandchildren Gabriella and Madison. She is also survived by many nephews, nieces, cousins, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.
She is preceded in death by her father, John Vargo in 1981 and her mother, Julia Vargo in 2001.

     Christina was a rare gem. Anyone that met her is a better person. She leaves behind a legacy of love and kindness. She will be deeply missed. The memories of her will be cherished in the minds and hearts of all. 

     Visitation hours are Thursday, November 2, 2023 from 4:00-8:00pm at Wyman-Fisher Funeral Home, 100 Franklin Avenue, Pearl River, NY.

The Mass of Christian Burial is Friday, November 3, 2023 at 10:00 am at The Catholic Church of St. Aedan, 23 Reld Drive, Pearl River, NY 10965. 

In addition to flowers, memorial contributions in Christina’s name can be made to United Hospice of Rockland County or the American Cancer Society.
 

     You can help the outside of our Church look as colorful and beautiful as the inside, and have some gardening fun, too!

    The Garden Ministry is a service-based ministry whose mission is to make the outdoor areas of St. Aedan’s as attractive, colorful and interesting as possible by planting appropriate gardens for the enjoyment of all. To accomplish this, we will plant and maintain gardens which complement the landscaping efforts of our parish and will make the parish grounds beautiful.

     Our ministry began in December, 2018.  Members have planned gardens in strategic locations, and we are currently purchasing and planting appropriate annuals, perennials, and shrubs for these garden areas. To date, we have planted pink roses in Mother Mary’s Garden, flowers around the St. Aedan’s road signs and placed containers in front of the Church that will be filled with seasonal floral arrangements throughout the year. During the growing season we water, weed and perform other routine garden maintenance tasks. If requested, we can plan and carry out future garden endeavors. If you have a love of plants and a desire to garden, this ministry is for you.

     Meetings are held on an as-needed basis.

     If you would like more information, or would like to join this ministry, you may contact Chris Wilson at [email protected].