Christine Marie Laubach

Christine Marie Laubach: Beloved Wife and Mother of Six Children Born the third of six children to Dorothy and Harry Berent in November 1945, Christine was raised in Hamtramck, Michigan. Growing up, she always looked up to her two wonderful, loving Babcias (Polish name for “Grandma”). She spoke fondly of her Uncles and Babcia that lived in the upstairs flat of her childhood home. After graduating from St. Augustine High School in Detroit, Chris set out to achieve her dream of going to Beauty School. From an early age, she wanted to be a hairdresser, because she loved bringing joy and happiness to others. Once she obtained her cosmetology license, she was introduced by her friend Geraldine to a strapping young sailor named Marvin Laubach. Marv was actively serving in the Navy (Naval Air Force) at the time, so the pair started writing letters to one another. Over the course of a year, Marv and Chris began dating via letters and visits on leave. Eventually, they fell in love and the rest is history. Following Marv’s honorable discharge in the early 1960s, he popped the question to Christine in the shade of a large, beautiful tree on Belle Isle. She said yes and they were married on June 19, 1965. In the early years of their union, Marv and Chris moved to a number of different apartments from Detroit to Ann Arbor to accommodate Marv’s budding career as a Finance Manager. Once they finally settled down, a family was in the works. Christine gave birth to four children: Michele, Kimberly, Carl, and Matthew. With four young ones in tow, Marv and Chris would take their family on frequent RV trips and vacations to amusement parks, such as Cedar Point. Through her years of motherhood, Christine primarily worked as a stay-at-home Mom; however, she would often take part-time jobs as a hairstylist to keep her fervor alive. In 1978, Chris gave birth to their fifth child, a sweet, affectionate son named Jason. Sadly, five years later, Jason passed away from an asthma attack in his sleep. The loss devastated Marv and Chris, but they clung tightly to their strong faith in God and firm belief that they will see him in Heaven again someday. A surprise came for the couple in 1988 in the form of another daughter, child number six, Erica. Having four children in their teenage years & early adulthood and a newborn at home posed a challenge for Marv & Chris, but they rose to the occasion as they always had. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Christine dove once again into her passion for hairdressing. She worked as a hairdresser’s assistant for a salon called Geon’s on Woodward in Bloomfield Township for a number of years. Following her time there, she moved over to Quenlyn & Company salon in Bloomfield Hills. She spent over 10 years serving clients there, including some locally prominent names like longtime Detroit news anchor Rich Fisher, as well as the wives of Tigers greats Charlie Gehringer and Al Kaline. Chris always enjoyed building relationships with her customers, and it brought her satisfaction to bring a smile to their faces. In approximately 2010, Christine retired to spend more time with her retired husband. In her free time, she took pleasure in sewing (another fascination from a young age), doing crossword puzzles, and most frequently, shopping. Whether it was for groceries, clothes, or even crafting accessories, Christine absolutely enjoyed spending time at the store. Another favorite pastime of Chris’ (as well as Marv’s) was going to the casino. Christine was famous for having a lucky streak, either playing the slot machines or at home buying her many scratch-off lotto tickets. She also excitedly followed the Detroit Tigers, especially during their glory days around 2006 and after. Her favorite Tiger was pitcher Rick Porcello, and she proudly sported a Tigers shirt with his name and number on it. In the mid-2010s, Chris decided to go back to work part-time helping elderly ladies in nursing homes as a beautician. She did perms, haircuts, and blow-outs, passing out grateful smiles along the way. She was known throughout her life for being very charitable; she would offer the very shirt off of her back to anyone in need. She also liked donating to the American Red Cross and especially the Wounded Warriors Project. Chris always loved music of many different varieties; Marv and she were a fun and heart-warming sight to see on any wedding or party dance floor. In 2020, Christine began showing symptoms of dementia. Remaining always in her loving husband’s care at home, she fought valiantly to retain her mobility and independence. In the last years of her life, she spent a few days each week at SarahCare, where she exercised, made many friends, and brightened hearts with her notoriously beautiful smile. Christine endured many difficult trials in her lifetime, including the loss of her son and two young grandchildren, recovering from heart disease and double bypass heart surgery, and becoming a breast cancer survivor. She leaned always on her unbreakable faith and her love and trust in Jesus to carry her through. Chris lovingly called Marv her “rock.” Christine will be remembered by those who knew her as a tough, strong, generous, friendly, and loving woman. She will be very deeply missed. Chris is survived by her devoted husband of 58 years, Marv. She leaves behind her siblings – sister-in-law Diane Kaminski (Lori Berent – deceased), brother Thomas (Betty) Berent, brother-in-law Glenn (Louise – deceased) Gielniak, sister Janet (David – deceased) Tepper, sister Joann (Robert – deceased) Szyniszewski, as well as many nieces and nephews who remember her fondly. Chris is also survived by her children, Michele (Paul) Powell, Kim Laubach, Carl Laubach (Brian McCallum), Matt Laubach, and Erica Laubach; as well as her grandchildren Amanda (Bob) Awe, Nicholas Laubach, Zachary Powell (Jessica Schultz), and Skylee Laubach, and her great-grandson Colson Awe. She rejoins her beloved son Jason in Heaven, as well as cherished grandchildren Daniel and Brianna, in addition to her loving parents, grandparents, and sisters Loretta and Louise.

Christine Marie Laubach

November 13, 1945 - April 10, 2024