Christine Knaus MacKay

Christine MacKay (née Knaus) passed peacefully on March 30, 2023 at St. Mary’s Hospital, Montreal.

She was predeceased by her mother (Julia Herbst Knaus), father (Rudolf Knaus) and her beloved husband, John Reith MacKay. She is survived by loving friends, relatives, stepchildren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, throughout North America and Europe.

Christine was born in Montreal to parents who had immigrated from Gottschee, part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Slovenia. She grew up in the Plateau and later, Park Extension neighbourhoods of Montreal and attended St. Dominic’s High School and Parish. Christine spent many decades working at Concordia University as a valued administrative staff member in the History and Adult Education departments.

She was actively involved in a number of organizations, starting as a volunteer member of Eaton’s Junior Executive and a pack leader with Girl Guides of Canada. She also volunteered for many years at St. Mary’s Hospital in a number of capacities, including as a member of St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary.

Christine and her husband John were master bridge players and spent many enjoyable hours playing bridge with friends and in the community. For many years, they were active members of the Montreal Athletic Association (MAA), the Summerlea Golf Club and the Royal Montreal Curling Club. Christine greatly enjoyed her travels with John as part of his work for many years with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Christine will be remembered for her tenacity, gregariousness, humour, joie de vivre and generosity, in all its forms, and will be mourned and missed by those who knew and loved her.

Visitation will take place on Wednesday, May 3, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Mount Royal Funeral Complex, 1297 Foret Rd., Outremont, Quebec H2V 2P9. A funeral mass will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 7755 Outremont Ave., Montreal, Quebec H3N 2M1, on Saturday, May 6, at 3:00pm, followed by the inurnment and reception at the Mount Royal Funeral Complex.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation in her name would be appreciated.