Obituary: Christine Ness

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Christine Ness

Christine V. Ness, 77, wife of Peter S. Ness, of Greenwich, passed away on Dec. 30 at Greenwich Hospital following a long struggle with complications from rheumatoid arthritis. Born Jan. 28, 1941, in Chicago, she is the daughter of Richard Vanderwarker and Josephine Prigmore Vanderwarker.

Popular and well-liked, “Cricket” — as she was nicknamed by her father — was known for her generous spirit, sense of humor and the way she connected people to bring out their own success. She attended Brearley School in New York where she developed a lifelong bond to the people that made the girl’s school a New York City and international institution. She deeply appreciated the culture, vitality and richness the world had to offer and was active in historic preservation both in the US and Europe. She always kept a full calendar that had her spending most of her career in New York City, with an active family and social life in Greenwich. After graduating in 1959 from The Brearley School, she attended Mills College in Oakland, Calif.. In 1963, she joined the Peace Corps with her first husband, Alexander H. Williams III, serving in Monrovia, Liberia with the distinction of working as the librarian to the Liberian Supreme Court. She later became an accomplished interior designer with a long career that included working with artists and designers to license their works for home products in domestic and international markets. She was on the board of directors and led the alumni association of the Brearley School. She also served on the board of the Royal Oak Foundation and the Greenwich Library.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her sons Alexander H. Williams IV of Portland, his wife Judith; James Williams-Ness of New York, his wife Shane; her daughter Ashley Williams Rieck of Denver and five grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother, Richard “Skip” Vanderwarker.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Planned Parenthood, The Royal Oak Foundation, or The Brearley School. A private memorial service is planned for the spring of 2019.

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