Brigitte Jean Christie, 69, of Hastings, MI passed away Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at Ely Manor Nursing Home. Born February 26, 1955 in Nuremberg, Germany, she was the daughter Brigitte (Kunze) Mills and the late Thomas Wattenbarger. Brigitte now joins her beloved husband, Gary, whom she has missed every day since he passed away in August 2014. After she met Gary, Brigitte started driving trucks over the road with Team Gary.  She also made and sold stuffed toy animals called Christie's Critters for a number of years and was a talented chef and baker who especially enjoyed making beautifully decorated wedding cakes. Her designs were truly stunning, and the cakes always tasted amazing. Her family loved partaking in her cooking and baking. She was a gifted artist of many mediums, including painting and sewing. Brigitte was one of those special people with a natural talent for doing anything creative that she set her heart on. Ted, Lisa, and Terry especially remember special times with their mother when she played the guitar while they were growing up, which was another one of her many hobbies. A perfect example of her artistic talent was on display for more than 40 years at Holbrook Elementary School in Grand Ledge in the form of a larger-than-life mural that Brigitte painted on the wall of the gymnasium depicting the school's husky mascot. Thousands of young students were able to see her work prior to the remodeling of the school in 2021.

Brigitte is survived by her mother, Brigitte Mills; children, Ted (Annette) Gorden, Lisa (Amy) Gorden, and Terry Gorden (Jim Charles); brother, Thomas Wattenbarger; grandchildren, Anthony (Allie) Commans, Mark (Julie) Crum II, Austin (FaithAnn) Gorden, Laura (Aaron) Hickman, Kaylie Crum, Marisa Gorden, and Warren Crum; great-grandchildren, Winnie Commans, Arin Crum, Allie Gill, Robert Stewart, Teresa Gore, Ivory Hickman, Evangeline Crum, and Josephine Crum; and several nieces and nephews. Along with her father and husband, she was preceded in death by her siblings, Toni Wattenbarger and Nick Baptista.

In accordance with her wishes, cremation has taken place. A celebration of Brigitte's life will be held by the family at a later date.