Obituary of Christine Spata

Spata, Christine “Chris” and “Gram”, 82 of St. Petersburg, FL passed away August 15, 2021, at Bayfront Medical Center in the Palliative Care Unit. Born in Manhattan and raised in Staten Island, NY she graduated from Port Richmond High School. She is preceded in death by her husband Joseph Spata who passed in 2015, her parents William and Lucille (Ryan) LaFrenier and brother Edward LaFrenier. Chris is survived by her three children, Joseph (Eileen), Michael (Sarah) and Lisa, five grandchildren, Jo Spata, Sean Spata, Kate Spata, Samantha Spata and Emma Spata and siblings William LaFrenier, Anne Hansen, Paul LaFrenier, Mary Schankweiler, John LaFrenier, Robert LaFrenier, Deborah Cunningham, and David LaFrenier.

Chris devoted her early years to raising her three children, volunteering to support many of their activities. Chris was the first coordinator for Girls’ Softball at West Shore Little League, later becoming Little League’s District Governor of Girls’ Softball for all of Staten Island. She re-entered the workforce as the Secretary at Saint Adalbert’s Elementary School and later started a career in financial management in the hotel industry which lasted over twenty years. She loved to cook and the holiday dinners she prepared for her large extended family were legendary. After she retired, Chris applied her boundless energy to studying genealogy and obtaining records of her family history going back many generations. After her family, the next love in her life were her cats and dogs. There were many over the years and they brought her much happiness. A private family service will be held in St. Petersburg. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011, www.alz.org, would be appreciated.