Christina Marie Meldrum

All who knew Christina appreciated her intellect, creativity, compassion, and grace. Born in Flint, Michigan on May 6, 1968, Christina was committed to intellectual growth, graduating summa cum laude from University of Michigan and earning her JD from Harvard Law School. After practicing litigation with Sherman & Sterling, Christina turned commitments to writing novels and raising her two boys, Jacob & Owen, in partnership with her husband Doug Dexter.

Christina’s first novel, Madapple (Knopf 2008), was a Finalist for the William C. Morris and the Penn U.S.A. Literary Awards, a Booklist Editor’s Choice, and a Kurkus Reviews Best Book. Her second novel, Amaryllis and Blueberry (Simon and Schuster 2011), similarly explored the intersections of religion, family, and moral responsibility. At the time of her passing, Christina was finalizing her third novel, examining the relationship between authoritarian governance and ethnic identity — presently crucial topics that were less obvious when Christina formulated the book concept five years ago.

Christina formed Village to Village, financially supporting primary eduction in Liberia. Locally, she coached youth in cross country, Odyssey of the Mind, high school mock trials, and creative writing. She was also on the staff of the Community of Writers. Christina loved nature, raising chickens, and supporting others in her family. Christina’s commitment to her boys was constant, enduring, and effective.

Christina took her own life on Sunday, August 2nd, due to health conditions that she believed could not be resolved. Her friends in the Bay Area, Santa Barbara, and Michigan join her husband, Doug Dexter, her two sons, Jacob and Owen, in grieving her tragic death.

Please join us here by sharing your memories of Christina’s extraordinary time with us. The measure of our loss is only exceeded by measure of her contribution to our lives.

An online memorial service for Christina is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at 11 a.m. PST. To RSVP for the video event and also watch live on Saturday, click on the following link: Evite to Video Memorial Service