Christine Whitelaw

Christine Whitelaw, 86, of Nanaimo, British Columbia, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, in the company of family. She was predeceased by her husband, Dr. John P Whitelaw, parents Gerardo Fiorini and Angela (DiPaola) Fiorini, and her sister Cynthia Bernardi. Christine is survived by her children Sandra Angèle McNamee (Michael), Thomas McNamee (Chris), Sylvia McNamee (Joseph), stepchildren Andrea Whitelaw and Evan Whitelaw, and grandchildren Grace McNamee, Roey Yeh, and Parker and Nathan Benton. She leaves behind her brothers, John and Tony Fiorini, their beloved families, and that of her dear sister, Cynthia.

Christine was born in Toronto, Ontario, and completed private Catholic high school at Loretto Abbey. She then attended Shaw’s Business School before moving to Vancouver to complete nurses’ training at St. Paul’s Hospital School of Nursing.

She lived in remote parts of the arctic (now called Nunavut) from 1965 to1969 with her then husband, Denis McNamee and their children. There, Christine worked in public and community health and education among the Inuit community. The majority of Christine’s distinguished nursing career was spent at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH), initially as a staff nurse in Obstetrics/Gynecology, Emergency, and ICU. In 1979, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and was promoted to Inservice Education Supervisor. She furthered her studies and achieved a Master of Education degree, which led to her position of Director of Nursing until her retirement in 1995.

Almost immediately after retiring from nursing, Christine started a home-based business called Vacation Rentals in Western Europe, which she operated successfully until 2007. She made many new friends along the way. She and John often spent time in Europe -particularly in Italy- on vacation but also visited many other parts of the world.

Christine served as both Vice President and President-Elect of the Nurse Administrators’ Association of BC and was very active on NAABC and RNABC committees. She enjoyed writing and several of her articles were published. In the community, Christine was well-known for her volunteer efforts and served on the boards of the Vancouver Island Symphony, the Port Theatre, and the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music. She was presented with the Honour in Culture Award in 2021.

Special thanks are offered to her private caregiver Rebecca, and to the Palliative Care team at NRGH. Deep gratitude is also shared for the unwavering support and outpouring of love from Christine’s dear circle of friends.

She will be noted for her many professional accomplishments and community contributions, and lovingly remembered as a kind and caring friend, a dedicated parent, and a devoted wife to her husband, John.

A funeral mass will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 301 Machleary Street, Nanaimo. A Celebration of Life will also be held on the 17th of October at 2:00 at St. Andrew’s United Church on 315 Fitzwilliam St.

In Christine’s memory, in lieu of flowers, the family would request donations to the Vancouver Island Symphony, the Cancer Clinic at NRGH, or a charity of your choice.