Born Marilyn Christine Krieger to Richard and Edith Krieger of Staten Island, New York, Christine grew up in a close-knit, loving family. She was raised in close contact with nature and the outdoors, with a strong love of reading, a variety of musical interests, and a rich and witty sense of humor to round it out. At age ten, she had her first equestrian experience with a live seahorse she found washed into Long Island Sound after an intense tropical storm. She was a Brownie and a Girl Scout as a child and enjoyed modern music as a teen.

After graduating from Newtown High School in New York, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She dropped out of school and began working in retail at the Home Goods division of B. Altman’s in New York City while living in Greenwich Village. In the mid-seventies, she joined Columbia University's Department of Oral History, where she met her first husband. Together they traveled the United States and Europe. During this time, Marilyn changed her name to Christine Krieger Abikoff, and her husband received a professorship at the University of Connecticut, which landed them in Ashford, CT, in 1981.

Christine joined the Ashford Volunteer Fire Department on April 11, 1989. She was an EMT and a firefighter. She was Correspondence Secretary from 1993 to 1997, President from 1997 to 2000, appointed to Medical Officer by the Chief from 1995 to 2000, Lieutenant of Fire Police in 2003, Captain of EMS in 2004, and served on several committees through the years, including the fisherman’s breakfast and the chicken barbecue, for over 10 years. She was an active member until 2009 and remained a social member. During her time in service, she responded to countless calls, treating each with professionalism and respect.

Christine met her second husband when she joined the Ashford Volunteer Fire Department. In doing so, she also gained a family that included 3 young stepchildren. Christine took an interest in them, sharing her worldly knowledge with these small-town kids. She offered many different experiences – most fondly remembered are shopping adventures, horseback riding, a love for animals both wild and domestic, and annual trips to “Thanksgiving in August” at her aunt and uncle’s home on Long Island. She deeply instilled in them her love for Tiffany’s and all things blue and sparkly.

Christine started her career as an assistant Town clerk for the Town of Ashford on January 1, 1991. Over the following 35 years, she moved into the Selectman’s Office, where she held several titles, none of them fully reflecting her value and dedication to the town. Her participation led to many small-town grants, including those for road improvements, bringing the Wagon Shed property back onto the tax rolls, and housing rehabilitation. Her guidance on legal matters, public manners, interactions, and so much more was borne from decades of experience in the public view. Fierce yet compassionate, she encountered everyone as equally worthy.

Honing in on her love of animals and nature, Christine received her Wildlife Rehabilitator's License in 1996. Over the years, she took in, cared for, rehabbed, and released hundreds of small mammals, with her favorites being opossums and bats.

In 2006, she became the Ashford Animal Control Officer, stepping down to the Assistant Animal Control Officer sometime in the 2020’s. During this time, Christine helped return lost pets to their homes and find homes for others, with many of them making their residence in her home.

Christine also had a deep connection with our Veterans, rooted in her own father‘s military service. She played a key role in creating the beautiful Ashford Veterans’ Memorial, personally ordering each engraved stone. Christine was the driving force behind the collection of labeled photos of Ashford Veterans now displayed on the walls of the third floor of the Ashford Municipal Office building. She also took her stepchildren to “plant flags” at the graves of veterans for Memorial Day each year.

Christine is survived by her brother Andrew Krieger, her nephew Nathaniel Krieger, a handful of cousins, and her (step) children Jillian Lewis, Colleen Sweetland, and Christopher Sweetland. She also leaves behind a local community that she was very dedicated to.

Christine departed us on Friday, March 13, 2026, which might be her last jab at all of us. She will be missed, but may she always be remembered for all the eccentric things she brought into the lives of everyone she encountered.

And she had the most beautiful handwriting.

A celebration of life will be held in the future. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to a charity of your choice. May her memory be a blessing.