Christine Elaine (Hoffman) McCarriston, age 60, of Marblehead, died on Thursday, Jan. 8, at her home surrounded by her loving family, following a courageous battle with cancer. She was the devoted wife of Richard D. McCarriston, with whom she shared over 35 years of marriage, and the loving mother to her daughters Shanna L. McCarriston-Zukswert of Salem and Jenna L. McCarriston of Arroyo Grande, California. Born in Lynn, in 1965, Chris was the daughter of John P. Hoffman of Lynn and the late Jean M. (Finnell) Hoffman, who predeceased her in January of 2025.
Christine attended Lynn English High School, Suffolk University and went on to receive two master’s degrees from Salem State University, along with multiple teaching licenses. Christine was an educator (librarian and ESL coach) in the Lynn Public School system for 30 years. Prior to becoming an educator, Christine was a newspaper editor for the Lynn Sunday Post. More recently, she continued her love of writing as a contributor for the Marblehead Current. She wrote columns about her family, the beauty she found in both the ordinary and extraordinary, and shared lessons she learned along the way.
Christine was a longtime resident of Marblehead, where she lived for nearly 28 years. In town, Christine loved the 4th of July festival with her youngest, watching sunsets at the end of her street with her oldest and sitting on the boat with her husband. Christine reached many people in the community, young and old. She hosted a blood drive, held annual Easter egg hunts for the children in her life and created a home with a welcoming environment for everyone.
Her life motto was “Celebrate everything” and she was relentless in seeing joy in everyday life and in those around her.
In addition to her husband Richard, her daughters Shanna and Jenna and her father John, Chris is survived by her sister Cathy Hoffman of Swampscott, Shanna’s husband Michael Zukswert of Salem, her brother-in-law Allen McCarriston and his wife Donna, and her many chosen family members.
In addition to her mother Jean, she was predeceased by her brother Timothy John Hoffman, her aunt Joan Savia, her sister-in-law Jamie Horgan, and her in-laws James and Alice McCarriston.
Visiting hours will be on Friday, Jan. 16, 3-7 p.m. at Solimine Funeral Home, 67 Ocean St. (Rt. 1A), in Lynn. A funeral will be held on Saturday, Jan. 17, beginning at 9 a.m. from the Solimine Funeral Home, followed by a funeral Mass at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Marblehead, at 10:15 a.m. The burial will be in Waterside Cemetery, Marblehead. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited.
We’d like to thank everyone at Sophia Gordon Cancer Center for such amazing care and kindness. Donations can be made to the Cancer Center at giving.bilh.org/laheyhospitalmedicalcenter/memorials-and-tributes/ or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.
