Mary Ellen Christy in 1974 founded the St. Chrystostom’s Day School on the Gold Coast and went on to serve as its headmistress for 45 years, while also writing parenting columns and a children’s book.
“Mary Ellen was a champion for early childhood education,” said Shelley Greenwood, the retired assistant head of school at the Latin School of Chicago. “Many of us would reach out to her for best practices and guidance for curriculum and program development.”
Christy, 80, died of heart failure on Dec. 23 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said her daughter Lindsay Christy Amborski. She had lived on the Gold Coast since the 1970s.
Born Mary Ellen Brooks in Chicago, Christy grew up in Hyde Park and then moved with her family to Hinsdale to start seventh grade. She attended Hinsdale Central High School, and then received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas.
She taught French at what now is Downers Grove North High School, where she also was the cheerleading coach and took French students on summer trips to Europe. When her first child was born in 1972, Christy left her teaching job and soon realized that there was not a good preschool in her neighborhood.
“She was someone who notices an absence or void — and worked to fix it,” her daughter said. “She deeply believed that the early formative years were critical for the development of a person’s sense of self. In the early 1970s, this predated the now-mainstream practice of attending preschool.”
Christy and her husband were active at St. Chrystostom’s Episcopal Church and, in 1974, she started a preschool associated with the church. She became its headmistress while also developing a play-based curriculum, her daughter said.
“She loved helping young parents as they were guiding their children through their first educational experience,” her daughter said. “She was a sounding board, advocate and mentor for thousands of young parents. She was an early advocate for diverse learners, almost always finding a place for children of all needs and abilities in the school.”
The Rev. Ian Burch, St. Chrystostom’s rector, said Christy was “powerful in personality and dynamic in vision.” He noted that what began with a basement room with a few tables and chairs in 1973 now is a state-of-the-art preschool with 133 pupils and a waiting list.
“She began a school at a time when the church board was run entirely by men who were skeptical of female authority, and she took their grant of $5,000 and turned it into the premier downtown preschool,” Burch said. “She made relationships for life, and she was a fierce fundraiser for causes she cared about.”
Burch said Christy’s personality was magnetic.
“She was an absolute delight to be around — always a laugh and a twinkle in her eye,” he said. “She loved a bit of mischief, and she connected people to one another effortlessly. She knew absolutely everyone in this city, and she could throw a party like no one else.”
Erin Anderson, a Chicago pediatric occupational therapist, would see children for therapy and work with Christy’s staff.
“She had a unique ability to communicate with parents about their children’s needs for additional support,” Anderson said. “Her approach was both loving and encouraging, emphasizing how outside support could increase their child’s independence and confidence.”
After retiring from her job as headmistress in 2019, Christy remained active, continuing to lead a capital campaign at the church. For several years she wrote parenting columns for Classic Chicago magazine, and she enjoyed spending time at a second home in Delevan Lake, Wisconsin.
Last year, Christy published a children’s book, “Vinnie’s Summer Adventure,” about a stuffed animal that comes to life and has a summer of capers.
Christy’s husband, Lawrence, died in 1997. In addition to her daughter Lindsay Christy Amborski, Christy is survived by a son, Brooks; another daughter, Kate; four grandchildren; and three step-grandchildren.
Services were held.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
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