Obituaries: in Memory of Christa Paxton (née Chatband)
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Brenda Green, 1958-65
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Christa preferred the English History element of education whilst I bent towards the Arts. I have an amusing recollection of Christa, possibly in the 5th or Lower VIth. Whilst working in the hallowed library she spilt a bottle of ink over her newly written essay! Her sharp expletive of ‘Oh! Bloody hell!’ brought an equally sharp retort from Miss Mann. ‘Christa Chatband, OUT! I will not tolerate such language in the library!’ ‘Oh, but ....’. ‘OUT NOW!’ Miss Mann screeched, so Christa dutifully gathered up her ruined essay and dripped the pool of ink, now gathered in its folds, across the library floor, bringing further coals heaped upon her head by a now incandescent Miss Mann, leaving we remaining friends in stifled mirth! .... How dare we!
However, a more poignant memory, a very sad one, was that of being told that Christa’s mother had been killed in a cycling accident in the village where they lived. This happened in the First Year Sixth and the shock affected us all as Christa was a very popular member of our sixth form group.
From that day Christa’s life and hopes changed as she took on the role of looking after her father and two younger brothers, whilst eventually returning to finish her year at school before leaving. I think she did a secretarial course at Colchester Institute and then went to work in the library of the newly established Essex University. As she adjusted to her situation, Christa decided she wanted to travel and at her earliest opportunity applied to British Airways and became an Air Hostess, looking very attractive in her red, white and blue uniform. In this role she was able to gently retreat from Layer de la Haye and find her feet. She made friends among the crews she worked with and some of them have been constant. It was whilst in the service of BA that she met her husband to be, a peripatetic Airport Manager. As his wife Christa, now Paxton, found herself transported to amazing destinations around the world, certainly ticking her desire to travel. They latterly ended up in Bermuda where our mutual friend, Janey, holidayed on a couple of occasions at their invitation and thought she had found heaven! However, Janey soon realised that Christa’s marriage was not a happy one and indeed it eventually failed, Christa returning home alone, was divorced and had once again to consider her lot!
Her experience both of life and travelling at a relatively young age had given her an insight to areas of need and Christa’s former skills came to the fore. She saw a job advertised for the newly established oil-rigs off the coast of Aberdeen requiring secretarial skills. She applied and got the job! She was to monitor and be in charge of the supplies and equipment required by the men working on the rigs, both nutritional and technical. I have recently seen a photo of Christa dressed in suitable Aberdeen waterproof clothing plus hard-hat, standing on the platform of an oil-rig! (Strange for one who HATED cold weather!) She quickly saw the need to implement a strict timetable for goods and equipment to be delivered or reported to make the oil-rigs efficient workplaces and duly established her own Company called ‘Seaplace’. Another photograph showed Christa behind her desk all neatly arranged, owl-like glasses perched on her nose, her determined look stating ‘Don’t mess with me!’ We are told that her meticulously organised operation ran like clockwork and the reputation of her Company grew in its effect on the oil-rigs and gained great respect from all the numerous businesses she dealt with. They trusted Christa implicitly and she was very much accepted in a predominantly male world, which was an amazing achievement.
Eventually Christa decided to sell her expanded Company as she had now established herself as a competent business woman and other seeds were being sown. She returned to London where she purchased her house in King’s Road, Fulham. Here she established a new career as an independent Fund Raiser and consultant for other charities. It seems Christa could persuade people to part with cash for worthy cases and this, as always, she did with great resolve, determination and success.
Her interest and concern in life-threatening situations had been fuelled by her travels, some of which she had witnessed at first hand. Now her attentions turned to becoming a member of the adult core of VSO and helping with their fundraising needs. Her then employer and now great friend, Dick Bird, gave a wonderfully succinct picture of Christa in this role; he knew her so well! During this stage Christa happened to meet Peter Evans by chance and they seemed to click! It also happened that Peter was a computer whizz which fitted so well with her VSO work, computerisation certainly providing a speedier communication tool! So they became a unit which proved a happy and eventful existence together.
They both travelled via VSO to various destinations, often war-torn and quite dangerous. I know that eventually there were in Cambodia and Christa set up charity funding for a series of clinics for women and children badly scarred, both mentally and physically, by the Khmer Rouge. She and Peter returned on several occasions after their initial visit ended, having made friends there and were greatly appreciated for the work they had done, but Christa was also keeping a weather-eye on the accounts, knowing full well how corrupt life can become where people have had to fight for their very existence.
Christa and Peter established a wide circle of friends both in their own neighbourhood and across the world. They loved to share time with others and were very hospitable, as I well know. However, Christa would always need to know the exact time of one’s arrival and departure and by what means of transport, so that she could plan the time spent together to best effect. Very much a Christa trait!
I was somewhat alarmed on my last visit in August 2022 to be told Christa had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had already had keyhole surgery which her surgeon hoped had removed the early stage of the tumour. Sadly this proved not to be the case and after being given as much treatment as was possible, Christa knew she was living on borrowed time. I received a call from Peter in May this year, not long before I departed for Canada in June, to say that Christa was in hospital, but very soon moving to the local hospice. I was so pleased that I managed to have a few words with her on the phone at that point, as Christa died peacefully on 26th June, surrounded by all her family.
Such a sad loss of a lovely friend.
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Christa Chatband joined CCHS, as I did, in 1958 and travelled in daily from Layer de la Haye. I don’t think we ever were members of the same class, we being the ‘bulge’ year, but with other girls in our year, mainly Janey Hollingworth, who joined our ranks in the 4th year, my friendship with Christa has survived to the present day. (left: photo of Christa taken from the Guardian obituary, by brother William)
