Christine Esarey, 79, passed away peacefully on June 27, 2026, surrounded by the family she loved so dearly.
Born June 10, 1947, Christine grew up in Osceola, Indiana, and spent most of her life in the Michiana area before settling in Florida in her later years.
Life brought her many joys along the way: from raising hell on the back of her husband Phil’s motorcycle in her youth, to long walks along the beach searching for sand dollars. But nothing compared to the joy of raising her two boys, watching her grandchildren grow up, and those moments when her whole family was together under one roof.
Christine was many things to many people — fiercely protective, deeply loving, and unwaveringly loyal, especially when it came to her family. Those who grew up around Felix and Philip may remember her best as “Mama No”, a nickname given to her by her sons’ friends after learning that any request from the boys was almost certain to be met with an immediate and definitive “no”. This running joke was not only unforgettable, but one that said everything about how she looked out for her own.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 59 years and partner of 62 years, Felix “Phil” Esarey;her sons, Felix (Katrina) Esarey and Philip (Deana) Esarey; and her grandchildren, Samantha Esarey, Collin (Kelly Bickel) Esarey, Caitlin (Cameron Reilly) Esarey, Brock (Shania DelPino)Esarey, and Benjamin Heidt, who knew her lovingly as “Yia Yia”.Her friends and family will miss her affectionate “love!!”s and her unique talent for calling at the most wonderfully inconvenient moments. She had a way of making you feel, in every phone call and in every embrace, that you were exactly who she needed most in that moment. She is reunited in peace with her parents, James and Virginia Smith, and her brother, Franklin Smith.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Christine’s memory.