Weatherbie, Christine Mary The death occurred peacefully at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, of Christine Mary Weatherbie (nee Ames) of Charlottetown, aged 78 years, after a short illness. Christine leaves behind her loving husband of 39 years, David Gormley. She was the dearest mother of Roderick (Laura) and Neil (Lizzie), cherished grandmother of Sydney, Hannah, and Joseph, deeply loved step-grandmother of Vanessa, Melissa, Patrick, and Nicholas, and great friend and former partner of Capt. (Ret) S. Paul Weatherbie. Christine was deeply loved by all who knew her. Her best friends, Katie and Elaine, have been faithfully by her side forever, especially during her last illness. Christine was born in Manchester, U.K., on December 6, 1945, to Francis Matthew Ames and Florence May Ames (nee Pennington). She first came to Canada with her mother in 1946 aboard the Queen Mary, which had been used to transport troops during the Second World War and then to help transport War Brides and their children to their new homes. With her father still in the services after the war, Christine grew up in Nova Scotia, the U.K., and Germany, before the family finally settled in Charlottetown in the 1960s. She met David in 1984 when they both worked at the Prince Edward Cinemas, and they have been inseparable ever since. Christine returned to school for her B.A. in the 1980s as a "mature student" (a phrase she hated then) and eventually became a kindergarten teacher, a career she dearly loved. Christine was a voracious reader since childhood and would go through books like they were going out of style. As a young girl her favourite pastime was to see how many books on Notre Dame Academy's list of banned works she could read without the nuns catching on. She had a deep and lifelong interest in film (an interest shared with David), space science, history, prehistoric life, and dogs (boy, did she love dogs!). She loved science fiction in film, books, and television, with The Fifth Element and Friefly being particular favourites. As a history buff, Christine was very happy to make a trip with David to Newfoundland this fall to finally visit L'Anse aux Meadows and see for herself the landing place of the first Europeans in North America. She was fascinated by the area's Viking and native history and the beauty of the landscape. She instilled all these passions in her sons, who both love books, film, and history. Christine was not religious but found beauty and inspiration in the natural world and the universe. She was fascinated by the fact that the elements that make up our bodies were created inside stars before Earth existed, some of which were produced in the Big Bang, and that there exists a deep relationship between the cosmos and life on Earth. As Carl Sagan said, "The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself." Christine's last days were spent at the QEH, where the nurses and doctors treated her with kindness and love. The family is forever grateful for their compassion and warmth during her final days. In lieu of flowers, her wish would be for donations to be made to the PEI Humane Society. There will be no visitation or funeral service. A celebration of Christine's life will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be made at: www.macleanfh.com
Christine Mary WEATHERBIE — Charlottetown, PEI
