Colonel Mary Christena 'Chris' McEachern
Born In: Glace Bay
Born: March 7th, 1933
Passed on: December 9th, 2014
Colonel Mary Christena 'Chris' McEachern, USAF Retired, passed away peacefully on Dec. 9, 2014 at her nursing home in Chestnut Hill from Alzheimer’s disease.
Devoted daughter of Jack and Rebecca McEachern, Chris was born in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, N.S. on March 7, 1933.
Chris attended Holy Angels School and Xavier College in Sydney. She graduated from St. Martha’s Hospital School of Nursing in Antigonish, N.S. and attended Emmanuel College in Boston, Mass.
In June, 1967, Chris joined the United States Air Force and received her wings as a flight nurse in April, 1968. She had more than 3,600 flying hours and was a qualified crew member on C-124, C-9, and C-141 aircraft and received many military decorations. She received her Chief flight nurse wings in 1987 and her Chief flight nurse badge in 1989 and retired in 1993 as a full Colonel.
Chris devoted her life to caring for others and spent her career as a pediatric nurse at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) in Boston, Mass.
Left to cherish her memory are her sisters, Sara Beaton and Josepha McEachern; nieces, Christine Beaton, Catherine Beaton, Patricia Beaton-Sylvester, Rebecca McEachern, Shannon MacEachern and Tara MacEachern and nephews, Mark Beaton, Michael Beaton and Geoff MacEachern.
Chris was predeceased by her sister, Catherine; brother, Donald and Sara’s husband, Gus Beaton.
Chris is also survived by many special relatives and friends in both the U.S. and Canada.
Friends are invited to attend a funeral mass in Saint Susanna parish, 262 Needham St., Dedham, Mass. on Monday, Dec. 15 at 9 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Colonel McEachern may be made at The Poor Clare Nuns, Franciscan Monastery of Saint Clare, 920 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 and Rosie’s Place, http://www.rosiesplace.org/.
