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Christine (Tina) Gray, loving daughter, wife and mother was the fourth of five children born to Joseph and Nora Duben in Manitowoc, Wisconsin April 11, 1951. She called home by our Lord Tuesday December 4, 2007 "because her work on this Earth was done." She grew up in Los Alamos where she and Paul met in high school and married in the spring after high school graduation. She spent eight years working as a nurse, both in private practice as well as at Presbyterian, St. Joseph's Hospitals and the Bernalillo County Medical Center's Cancer Center. In 1978 she "retired" from nursing to raise her sons Ryan and Kyle. When Ryan entered school, she became a "professional volunteer" for APS where her philosophy of "Help everyone you can, whenever you can, with a willing heart" stood out. She was Room Mother, Field Trip Driver/Chaperone, the "Popcorn Lady", Fund Raiser and the Mom that was always at school helping "her kids." She was active in PTA/PTOs and Booster Clubs of Governor Bent Elementary, Cleveland Middle School and Del Norte High School. At Gov. Bent she instituted a computer based program for non-included students, her Wiz Kids, and considered it a success when one of "her kids" ran up to her on the playground to introduce her to his new friend. At Gov. Bent and Chelwood Elementary Schools and Cleveland Mid School she helped implement and taught playground mediation to students to try to prevent conflict. At Del Norte High School, she spent so much time as a volunteer that the Principal hired her as an Educational Assistant. She spent a year and one-half working Del Norte's Traumatic Brain Injury Program, and three years with the BD/DD Program. One of her proudest accomplishments was teaching several of "her kids" to read. In the middle of all this she took a part time position at Our Talented Friends, where she formed a deep friendship with the other women working at the store, her "Ya Ya's". She left APS shortly before taking on the job of caring for her mother. She is survived by her mother, Nora; husband, Paul; sons, Ryan and Kyle; sister, Patricia Mervyn; sister, Ellen Flynn and husband, Jim; brother, Joe Duben and wife, Nancy; sister, Mickey Fitzpatrick and husband, Ed; 12 nieces and nephews; and all of "her kids," all of whom are now encompassed by her ever loving wings. A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at Daniels Family Funeral Services, 7601 Wyoming Blvd. NE. Burial will follow in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. The family requests that no flowers be sent. In lieu of flowers, and in honor Red, B.O.S. and Dodger B., Tina requested donations be made to: Academy Animal Clinic, 6000 Academy Road NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109 Daniels Family Funeral Services 7601 Wyoming Blvd, NE Albuquerque, NM 87103 (505) 821-0010 www.danielsfuneral.com
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