Obituary of Christine Hourihan Beeston

Christine Hourihan Beeston, 94, of Chapel Hill, passed away on August 16, 2012 at her home. She was born on December 18, 1917 in Louisville, Kentucky to Austin Hourihan and Aline Roederer Hourihan. Christine earned an RN at Nazareth School of Nursing at St. Josephs Infirmary in Louisville, and in 1943, entered the Army as a commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Officer. She was stationed at Camp Atterbury in Indiana, then in England with the 122nd General Hospital Unit, achieving the rank of 1st Lieutenant. It was at Camp Atterbury that she met patient 1st Lieutenant Kenneth George Beeston to whom she was married in 1945 in Chapel Hill. She was a staff nurse at the UNC Infirmary, UNC Memorial Hospital Emergency Room and Cardiac Department, and the Veterans Administration. In 1952 she earned her BSPHN at the UNC School of Public Health, and in 1958 began her career with the Durham County Public Health Department serving in the well-baby clinics, the TB eradication program, and congestive heart failure treatment program. Always busy, she made many beautiful clothes, sweaters, hats and scarves for others. Her needlepoint and quilts are works of art. She loved the Tarheels, mysteries, and Holden Beach. Christine is survived by her sister, Catherine Krebs, her son Michael and wife Ruth, of Mooresville, her daughter, Rebecca Beeston Lenchek and husband Armand, of Chapel Hill, and her grandchildren, Christopher Beeston, Amy Beeston Carson and husband Josh, and Aaron Lenchek. She was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth and sister Corrine Hourihan. The family would like to extend their gratitude to UNC Hospice and especially Christine's devoted and loving caregivers, Shabari Case, Deborah Shantzek, Mary Patrick, and Theresa Nassau. She was a mother to them all and they did it her way. A graveside service will be held on Saturday August 25 at 3:30 at the Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery on Legion Road, followed by the 5:15 daily mass at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Memorials may be made to UNC Hospice, PO Box 1077, Pittsboro, NC 27312 Walker's Funeral Home is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.walkersfuneralservice.com