Christine (Netishen) Williams of Mashpee and formerly of Martha’s Vineyard, died peacefully in Barnstable on July 12. She was 83.

Christine was the beloved wife of Richard C. Williams with whom she shared 48 wonderful years of marriage.

She was born January 3, 1941 to the late Joseph A. Netishen and the late Sophie (Payshnick) Silverman in Springfield, Mass. As a child, her family lived with her maternal grandparents, who taught her Russian, their native language. Christine attended Rockland High School and later Hingham High School, class of 1958. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bryn Mawr College in 1962. She completed her Master’s Degree focused on finance, monetary theory and Soviet area studies at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champagne.

She married David Strand Wollan in 1963 and moved to Virginia. She was an instructor in the Economics Department at Virginia Tech and continued her research in Russian studies, travelling to Russia in 1967. Christine earned her Ph.D. in economics and Soviet Area studies in 1972 from the University of Illinois.

She met her husband Richard Williams and the couple married in 1977.

Beginning in 1980, she had an impressive career with the CIA. Her work gave her Top Secret clearance and her accomplishments, including using multidisciplinary expertise and analytical tradecraft to solve intelligence problems, regularly meeting with foreign officials and developing strategies to protect homeland security. After retirement, she taught intelligence analysis at the FBI Academy. She traveled to Eastern Europe and Russia and was on the Secretary of Defense’s team in the 1990s. She met two Presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush, Sr. as well as the Royal Family while attending events at Buckingham Palace.

Throughout her life, she was a woman of faith. She was raised in the Russian Orthodox Church in Boston, was a member of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Va. and Grace Episcopal Church on Martha’s Vineyard. Her religious faith was always a source of great comfort to her, with lasting friendships and memories.

Upon retirement the couple moved to Chilmark, where they lived happily for the next 19 years. On the Vineyard, she volunteered with Women Empowered, a non-profit organization focused on giving women financial guidance.

She loved music, attending the Boston Symphony on a regular basis when living on the Vineyard. She was an avid reader of politics and international affairs. The couple enjoyed being dog owners—all of their dogs brought her joy and comfort. She also loved cooking and hosting dinner parties. More than anything, she loved being with her family. She was an amazing daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and friend.

She is survived by her husband, Richard Williams; her daughter Sarah Standish and her husband Alex; her stepdaughter Dana Quindry; her siblings Linda Flinton, Beverly LeTendre, Joyce Netishen and Joe Netishen; her grandchildren Olivia Standish, Anna Standish, Maddie Williams, Lewis Quindry, Katie Quindry and Helen Quindry; and her beloved dog, Sadie.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Chapman Funerals and Cremations, 74 Algonquina avenue in Mashpee. A funeral service will follow in the funeral home on Thursday, July 25 at 12 p.m. A graveside service will be held on Friday, July 26 at 12:30 p.m. at Abel’s Hill Cemetery, 322 South Road in Chilmark.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Grace Episcopal Church of Martha’s Vineyard at www.graceepiscopalmv.org or to the ASPCA at www.aspca.org.