Christina Ann (McKaig) Sinclair

Christie Sinclair passed away peacefully from this life into Eternal life on Easter Sunday.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Alick ("Jay") Sinclair III; loving parents, Allen and Mary Kay McKaig; and sister, Mary Lou.

She is survived by her sons, Scott (Amanda) and Chad; granddaughters, Emma and Grace; and brother, Tim (Annetta) and family.

Christie's passing marks the end of a life defined by education, family, friendship, reading, traveling, and a love of all people.

Born Christina Ann McKaig in Logansport, Indiana, Christie spent her youth relishing a "simple and sweet" farm life where family and friends were always close at hand. Summers were spent working on 4-H projects, playing softball with cousins, and vacationing on Hubbard Lake. A self-proclaimed book lover, after school each day Christie devoted hours to reading whatever she could get her hands on. It was during this early period of her life when her passion for education first blossomed.  

After graduating from Pioneer High School in 1967, Christie left the family farm and embarked on a new adventure of "city life" at Butler University in Indianapolis. It was there that she met her husband, Jay.

In a 2012 interview on multigenerational families for son Chad's college sociology course, Christie chronicled their happenstance encounter at the university's radio station, WAJC, where Jay was a disc jockey. 

"I was a radio and television major at the time, and I signed up to observe different shifts as a freshman," Christie said. "I blindly picked two or three; one of them was your dad's."

She added, "I went to the radio station, and he opened the door. I said, 'Hi, I’m Christie McKaig, and I’m here to observe you.' He just grinned and that was it."

Their fairytale was just beginning. Christie and Jay soon fell in love and were married on March 29, 1969. Little did they know that from the moment Jay opened the radio station's door, they would remain devoted to each other for 40 years of marriage, until Jay's death in 2009.

It was motherhood, however, that changed everything for Christie. After 13 years of marriage, she and Jay welcomed Scott into the world, and three years later, they welcomed Chad. "The Two Blonde Boys," as they were affectionately known in family circles growing up, Scott and Chad became Christie's greatest joy. She poured her heart into her son's lives, instilling in them the virtues she held in high regard: acceptance, empathy, exploration, generosity, kindness, and respect. Her joy of motherhood would only deepen when granddaughters Emma and Grace were born.

As her family grew, Christie built an extraordinary life of friendships. She was a devoted member of Union Chapel United Methodist Church, the P.E.O. Sisterhood (a 50-year "Golden Girl"), 4-H (as a 10-year member, and later as a club leader), Delta Delta Delta sorority, five book clubs, two retired teachers clubs, and a bridge club.

But those friendships extended beyond the boundaries of clubs and organizations. Christie became a friend to all. Unafraid to strike up a conversation with strangers, she routinely made new friends wherever she went. Even in the final months of her life, Christie befriended the doctors, nurses, therapists, and aides who cared for her.

After graduating from Butler in 1971, Christie's focus shifted to education, as her passion led her to a career teaching English, speech, drama, and humanities. After beginning her career at Speedway Junior High School, Christie then taught at Plainfield Junior High School, until she eventually found a home at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, where her career spanned nearly four decades. A masterful public speaker, Christie later distinguished herself as Ben Davis' speech coach. Throughout her career, Christie modeled for her students the confidence, creativity, and poise needed to succeed not only in her classroom, but in the classroom of life.

In 2008, Christie's final year of teaching, graduating seniors paid her tribute:

"She pushed me and helped me believe in myself." 

"I respect her more than any other teacher I've ever had."

"She made a difference in my life."

"There is no other like her."

Even in retirement, Christie maintained relationships with countless students long after they had graduated. Her friendships with fellow educators only grew stronger. She was truly a friend to all.

Toward the end of her 2012 interview with Chad, Christie reflected on her life's greatest accomplishments.

“I’m most proud of my children," she said. "A close second is my career as a teacher, which is in large part due to my relationships with students, but with other teachers as well. I still hear from students who were in my first eighth grade class at Speedway.”

The day after retiring as a teacher, Christie began working as a librarian at the Danville Public Library. She had always wanted to be a librarian, ever since those early days as a girl pouring over pages after school. In the mid-1990s, Christie earned her master's degree in library science from Indiana University, but it would be another decade before her patience paid off and her dream finally came true.

Christie's passion for travel was evident in retirement, as globetrotting with friends took her places near and far. Among other locales, she traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Hawaii, the Channel Island of Guernsey, Holland's renowned tulip festival, Germany's Christmas Markets, and the Rhine River. And to nobody's surprise, Christie made new friends there too.

If her days weren't full enough, Christie took great pleasure in helping care for her granddaughters, Emma and Grace, during the first few years of their lives. It was a role she later called her "favorite job" of all.

In the final week of Christie's life, her sons and daughter-in-law took shifts each day sitting by her bedside as their final act of love.

A life bookended by loving parents and devoted children, Christie leaves behind an unparalleled legacy, the effects of which will be felt for generations to come.

Together Christie's sons, blessed beyond measure to call her mom, alongside the friends, family, and thousands of students she influenced across 75 wondrous years, will forever carry her abundant heart.

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A "Celebration of Life" memorial will take place on Friday, May 9, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., at Union Chapel United Methodist Church, located at 2720 E. 86th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240. A brief, traditional funeral service will begin promptly at 3:00. A fellowship with family and friends will begin immediately thereafter.

Floral arrangements are encouraged to be delivered to the church between at 10 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on the day of the memorial.

Bussell Family Funerals is privileged to assist the family in arrangements.

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