Christine Sandulli's Obituary
Christine Sandulli died Friday, December 30, 2022, in Salt Lake City, with her family at her side.
Chris was born into the surge of the baby boom in 1947 as the middle child of Virginia (Starke) Loebel and Harry Loebel in Baltimore MD. Her family moved frequently when she was a child, and she grew up in Francistown NH, Bedford NH, and Andover MA. She left home to attend high school at St Mary’s in the Mountains (now the White Mountain School) in Bethlehem NH. She then attended Connecticut College in New London CT.
In her first year at Connecticut College, she met an adventurous and outgoing grad student named Joe Sandulli. They fell in love, and were married shortly after Christmas in the propitious year of 1968. They were to be life-long companions and partners until Joe’s death in 2021.
In 1973 she and Joe chose Ipswich MA as the place to settle down and build deep roots in a community. After 11 years on Water St., they built a home on the Ipswich river in 1984 that became their lifelong project. Chris had a love of horses that resulted in building a barn and paddocks on the property. She raised and boarded many horses, including her beloved Kadji, whom she raised from a filly and buried in 2020. She loved the North Shore and Essex County and enjoyed exploring the region with her friends, whether by walking, skiing, kayaking or on horseback. She served on the board of the Ipswich River Watershed Association, working to ensure that her beloved Ipswich River would be available to all.
Chris was intensely curious and loved books and travel. Professionally, this led her to a career as a journalist – she attended journalism school at Boston University, and worked as an editor for local newspapers such as the Beverley Times and Community Newspaper Corp. Personally, this led her to share her sense of adventure with her grandchildren, taking them to see her favorite spots – often by horseback or kayak.
Chris is remembered for her stubborn independence, a remarkable stoicism, and a physical daring that allowed her to survive cracked kayak hulls and excitable horses. Her culinary abilities were legendary as well – she was known to whip together gourmet meals from scratch in 15 minutes, usually while chatting with her guests in the kitchen.
Chris is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Guido and Rebecca Sandulli, and beloved grandchildren Alex, Elena and Adah Sandulli. She was pre-deceased by her husband Joe and her son Ben Sandulli. She is also survived by her sister, Carol Kinzler and brother Tod Loebel and their families.
A memorial service is planned in Ipswich MA in the Spring of 2023.
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