Christine Marie des Rochers

Christine Marie des Rochers (nee Goudie), age 62, cherished wife, mother, daughter, sister, and aunt passed away peacefully in Cary, at her beloved home on the Fox River, surrounded by her loving family following a 4-year battle with cancer.

“Inspiring,” “ A ray of light,” “Heart to help others,” “Blessed to have known her,” “So very kind,” “So positive,” “A wonderful person,” “A truly amazing woman,” “So fun,” “A joy to behold,” “Bright and funny” - these comments and countless more like them are from the hundreds of people who’ve tried to put into words on Chris’ Facebook page what she meant to them. Chris’ infectious positivity and authenticity truly touched many lives.

Born in Arlington Heights, IL, her family moved to Crystal Lake when she was in the fourth grade. Chris excelled in school, eventually earning a two-year degree from McHenry County College with honors. She then chose to attend Travel School to chase her dreams of exploring the world. After landing a job as a travel agent at Crystal Lake Travel, she quickly demonstrated her gift for fulfilling other’s travel dreams. She was promoted first to manager and later to vice president and general manager.

In 1983 Chris married the love of her life, Blair, fulfilling both of their dreams for the next 41 years. Her travels took Chris (& now, sometimes Blair!) on adventures all over the globe: Egypt, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Tahiti, and countless islands. Travel was, and would continue to be, a lifelong passion.

With her wanderlust satisfied for the moment, Chris turned her focus to her #1 passion, her family. In 1993, when she was blessed with the birth of her beloved son, Connor, Chris was so overwhelmed by the love & possibility she felt for him that she stepped away from the business world for the next 18 years so that she could give all of herself to her family. Business meetings gave way to birthday parties and parent/teacher conferences at school.

Once Connor was off to college, Chris returned to the workforce as the “Director of First Impressions” at Curran Contracting in Crystal Lake. There, she found a company whose ethics, culture, and values aligned with her own, an environment where she truly felt at home. Curran was an exceptional employer that truly valued its people above all else. We are eternally grateful for the compassion and devotion they showed to Chris through this very trying time.

Chris’ determination and tenacity were truly amazing - when was the last time you heard of someone running the Chicago marathon while undergoing chemo? Chris was an avid snow skier, water-skier, tennis player, hiker and yogi, but it was running marathons that came to define her. While for most of her life she didn’t consider herself to be a runner, for Chris running was a means to an end. She was a woman of deep faith and felt called upon by God to run in

order to raise money for Team World Vision, an organization dedicated to bringing clean water to people across the developing world. Chris ran the Chicago Marathon multiple times, the New York City Marathon, the Nairobi half-marathon and many others. Chris ran to make a difference in the lives of others because that’s who she was. Over the course of her marathon journey with Team World Vision she raised over $70,000, equating to clean water for life for more than 1,400 people!

Chris was introduced to Team World Vision at Willow Creek Community Church in Crystal Lake where she volunteered, attended bible studies, and mentored and encouraged her sisters and brothers in Christ for more than twenty years. It was truly her second home. Chris can best be summed up by the empathy and genuine kindness she showed everyone she encountered and her zest for life. She was equally content with an adventure to a far-flung destination or curled up on the couch with a Hallmark movie. Chris was a great listener and was always authentic - what you saw is who she was, a truly lovely human being.

Christine is survived by her beloved husband of 41 years, Blair des Rochers; her son Connor des Rochers; her parents Herbert Goudie and Anna Goudie of Capron; her sister Joyce (Mark) Lewis of Lake in the hills; her brother Jeff (Kay) Goudie of Capron as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Glen and Loretta Goudie; her maternal grandparents Gene and Loretta Niedbalski and many other ancestors.

A celebration of Life will be held at Willow Creek Church in Crystal Lake on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Doors open at 1:00 pm and the memorial service will begin at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to her beloved Team World Vision - more clean water, please! The link to her fundraising page can be found here: www.teamworldvision.org/participant/ChrisdRMemorialFund