Christine E. Wolf

“The Lord said well done my good and faithful daughter”.

On March 18th at Villa St Francis, where she stopped in for 7 hours, Chris took her final breath of this life and entered her eternal life.

Chris was born on May 31, 1948 and raised in West Orange, NJ. She was the daughter of Doug and Isabel Coffey (Pre-deceased). She grew up with her two sisters, her identical twin Virginia Coffey and Jane McLemore (Phil) both of Atlanta, GA.

She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an aunt, a friend and a teacher. She went to West Orange high school where she was an officer in her senior class and captain of the varsity cheerleaders. She graduated college from Illinois State University with a degree in Special education and secured a job in Chicago, IL.

In a weird twist of fate, the only time she and her friends went to Chicago’s famous night life on rush street, she met her future husband from Kansas City who just returned from eight months stumbling through Europe- that was 1970. They were married June 27th, 1971 in West Orange, NJ.

In 1981, Chris was diagnosed with Leukemia and given six months to live. At this point in her life, God’s miracles started to kick in. Her husband’s childhood friend, the late Dr. Gerald F. Kerr, researched an experimental procedure at the University of Washington, Seattle and at his persistence, she chose to become the 13th person in the world to have an identical twin bone marrow transplant. It was a vicious, punishing treatment for months in Seattle, WA, only 20% of the patients survived. Chris, walked out of there three months later to go back to her home in Kansas and that six month diagnosis turned into 44 additional years of a glorious life.

In 1990, Chris’s doctor in Seattle Dr. Thomas, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Medal of Science for his work. He has said that without the patients who had the grit, the determination and took the risk, bone marrow transplantation might have taken a decade longer to become a reality of modern medicine. We say with the faith of Chris, the tenacity of Dr. Kerr and a supporting family, many future lives were saved.

She traveled and got to meet her favorite artist, Jose Carreras of the 3 Tenors and attended many of his concerts. She loved to garden and had a huge garden that she tended to for many years. She loved having tea parties with her granddaughters and passed her love of tea along to them. She always looked forward to her annual trip to see her sisters. They had many wonderful adventures together.

At age 50 she decided to get her Master’s Degree and graduated with a Master’s in Special Education from KU. She taught special education for 30 years and was every parent’s favorite teacher. She was an advocate for her students and they loved her. She retired in 2015 and had an active life with her family until the Lord called her home.

In 2014, Chris was welcomed into the Catholic Church and wore her faith where everyone could see it. A true believer who savored her friendship with Christ and his Holy Mother.

In her lifetime, she survived the effects of the transplant- two heart attacks, quadruple bypass surgery, breast cancer, lung disease, valve replacement and finally vascular dementia. Even though she was suffering from various conditions, She always maintained her positive outlook, concern for others and was a joy to her family and friends. Her strength, and grace through any adversity has always been an inspiration to anyone who knew her.

She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Steve R. Wolf of the home, her daughters, Jamie Rupert (Francis) and Stephanie Stapleton (Jeff), son Joshua Wolf and her beloved granddaughters, Emily Rupert, Natalie Rupert and Sylvia Stapleton.

Memorial Service will take place Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Cure Of Ars Catholic Church 9401 Mission Rd. Leawood, KS

Visitation will take place at 10:00 am followed by Mass Service at 11:00 am. 

Burial will immediately follow the service and will take place at Resurrection Cemetery 8300 Quivira Rd. Lenexa, KS 66215

To access the service live, please click the following tab: Livestream 

It was a pleasure and an honor to walk with you through life, Mrs. Custer.

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