Christine Chilton Brophy

MADISON-Christine Chilton Brophy, age 52, died on April 12, 2018 at her home in Madison, Wisconsin, surrounded by friends and family. She suffered from gastric cancer but lived each moment her body gave her bravely, fully and beautifully.  Christine was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 12, 1965 to Dr. James C. Collinge and Susan E. (Smith) Collinge.  Christine moved to Colorado in 1984 to attend the University of Colorado and met Brian Brophy in 1985. A ten-year courtship followed while they pursued their educations, traveled the world and worked in secondary education.  Christine and Brian were married in Madison on June 10, 1995.  She was blessed with three daughters (Anna, Emma and Sarah), who she worked hard to raise well and who made her extraordinarily proud.  Perhaps her happiest moments, knowing her cancer diagnosis was terminal, were seeing each of her daughters head off to college excited, capable, confident and eager to mark their own course.Christine loved children and giving of herself to others. She volunteered and worked for the Dane County YMCA and worked for the Madison School District for many years, primarily as the Lunch Lady at Shorewood Hills Elementary.  She was a long-practicing member of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Her friends, associates, and even the relative strangers she met and served through AA were of utmost importance to her, particularly her Fox Hall home group members.  Christine was an accomplished yoga practitioner and, as cancer took her body, greatly missed her friends and those parts of her practice she became unable to pursue.  She was grateful for all she learned.She is survived by her parents, her husband, daughters, siblings (Brigette Whitney, James Collinge, Jessica Collinge, Graham Collinge and Joseph Collinge) and numerous nieces, nephews and in laws.A memorial to share gratitude for the love, life and beauty that Christine so eagerly shared will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on May 10, 2018 at Allen Centennial Garden in Madison, located on the corner of Observatory Drive and Babcock Drive. Parking can be found at the Observatory Drive Ramp (Lot 36).  In lieu of flowers, donations are being accepted toward a memorial bench in the UW Arboretum where Christine gathered with “The Moms.”  Please contact bbrophy@demarb-brophy.com for more information about donations. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.