Christine R. Strimel of Pennsylvania and recently of Edgartown, died peacefully on June 1 at Windemere Nursing Home. She was 82.

She was born on Oct. 22, 1935 in Richmond, Va. and grew up in Centre Hall, Pa., where she was raised by Harold and Edith Reynolds. She attended the Williamsport Hospital Nursing School, and then completed her advanced training at the Margaret Hague Hospital in Jersey City, where she became a registered nurse in pediatric newborn care.

While working at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York city, she met her former husband, George Strimel Jr. They were married and eventually settled in Glen Summit, Pa. where she was an active member in community events. There she had two children, Gwyneth and Victoria, and enjoyed many neighborhood picnics, parades and time by the lake.

Christine and her family were active members of the First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. She was a member of the choir, served on many outreach ministries and was a longtime member of the board. After the flood of 1972, she was instrumental in the rebuilding of the church. She recalled with her daughters almost every week how much she loved and missed this beautiful place.

In 1977, she decided to make a change and began working as a real estate paralegal for Rosenn, Jenkin and Greenwald in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. She embraced the work, and truly loved her job. She remembered the firm fondly, made many lifelong friends and worked there until she retired in 2003 and moved to Martha’s Vineyard.

Her life on the Island was rich in family, faith and friends. She became a founder and active member of Beacon of Hope Church in Edgartown and it was one of her greatest joys to be part of their active and vibrant community. She leaves behind many great and beloved friends.

But her greatest joy came from being a grandmother. She committed herself to this and was an active member of their lives. She lived in Edgartown with her daughter Gwyneth and family, and every day was filled with laughter and love, baking, arts and crafts and special overnights with “Nannie.” It was a truly blessed way of life and a testament to her unconditional love of family.

Christine is survived by her former husband, George Strimel Jr. of Philadelphia, Pa., and her sister Grace Ezze of Mt. Holly, N.J.. She is also survived by her daughter Victoria Strimel and her daughter Gwyneth Wallace and her husband Michael, all of Edgartown. She leaves behind her six beloved grandchildren: Daniel, Phoebe, Elizabeth, Dylan, Michael and Natalie.

Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, June 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs, with a funeral service at 10 a .m. officiated by Pastor Don Bradley. Interment will follow in the New Westside Cemetery on Robinson Road in Edgartown.

Donations can be made in her memory to the Beacon of Hope Church, P.O. Box 2582, Edgartown, MA 02539, or Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, P.O. Box 1747, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.