Christine Sophia Hazboun

by Contributor | April 17, 2026 8:31 am

OCTOBER 30, 1944 – APRIL 5, 2026

Christine (Chrisho) Sophia Hazboun (née Baboun) passed away on April 5, 2026 in Lacey, Washington, surrounded by love, comfort, and support. Christine was born on October 30, 1944, to Yanina Baboun (née Koubatski), originally of Warsaw, Poland, who raised her in Bethlehem, Palestine with her husband Ibrahim Zaki Baboun and Christine’s six adored siblings.

In her youth, Christine enjoyed walking around her parents’ land and through Bethlehem, visiting Jerusalem and Jericho with her family, and learning languages at school in addition to Arabic, especially English and French. She developed interests in cooking, sewing, knitting, embroidery, fashion, and home decor. Those hobbies revealed her unmatched natural talent with all kinds of craftwork, which she later drew on and refined into polished artistic skills.

On November 17, 1963, Christine married Shafiq Bishara Hazboun (1932–2000), also of Bethlehem. Their marriage opened the door to a whirlwind of journeys together, taking them to locations like Amman, Jordan, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Philadelphia and Easton, Pennsylvania—until 1974, when they finally bought a home and settled in Fulton, New York, where they lived for more than 25 years. Alongside her husband, Christine raised three sons and one daughter, unwaveringly pouring her energy and love into their development and well-being across a period of 35 years. Throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, she ceaselessly attended her children’s school concerts, competitions, award ceremonies, and sporting events. In the 1980s, she also assisted in the principal’s office and worked as a teacher’s aide at Fairgrieve Elementary School. Even with all of that, she carved out plenty of time and energy to grow flowers, host gatherings, teach her children how to drive, visit the elderly in rest homes, cook her legendary Middle Eastern feasts and desserts to share with family, friends, and neighbors, and to create—purely as gifts—unique and delightful handcrafts, such as tablecloths, sweaters, blankets, dresses, ice skating costumes, decorations, and wedding favors.

Those activities began to wind down in the late 1990s, but Christine still had a whole career ahead of her. First learning about office work in her husband Shafiq’s general medicine practice, Christine went on to work full-time in Fulton as the office manager for orthopedic surgeon Lesly Germain, MD, from 1996–2001. Soon after Shafiq passed away in 2000, Christine relocated to Tucson, Arizona, continuing her career in healthcare management at Tucson Orthopedic Institute, where she worked from 2001–2011, before retiring. In retirement, Christine enjoyed volunteering with Iraqi refugees, working in a jewelry shop, teaching the art of crochet, taking road trips with friends, and visiting her former homes of Central New York and Palestine. Most importantly, she spent all the time she could visiting and hosting holidays with her children and grandchildren.

Christine is remembered most often for her humor, generosity, and the compassionate support she gave to loved ones in abundance. Relatives and friends also reminisce about her steadfast devotion to family, the delight she took in being with children, her spontaneous and fun-loving nature, her willingness to answer a call or need for help at a moment’s notice, and—last but not least—her flavorful and plentiful home-cooked meals. She was a best friend to many, a godmother to several, and a deeply valued and trusted friend, colleague, and neighbor to countless people who crossed her path. She enjoyed flowers, long walks, leisurely drives, New York foliage, and Arizona sunsets; she loved coffee, fruit, cheese, fresh bread, spicy dishes, and all things sweet and nutty; her favorite color was green. Above all, she thrived on spending time with family and friends (the larger the gathering the better) talking, laughing, sharing stories in her distinctive animated way, and ensuring everyone was well-fed and content.

Missing her and loving her in perpetuity are her four cherished children, Sameer Shafiq Hazboun of Tucson, Arizona, Henry Shafiq Hazboun of Fulton, New York, and his wife Julie, Jeffrey Shafiq Hazboun of Corvallis, Oregon, and his wife Shawn, and Reem Hazboun Ta?yakan of San Diego, California, and her husband Bar??. Also surviving her are seven treasured grandchildren, Heather Christine Hart, Christian Ibrahim Hazboun, Garret Lee Greene Hazboun, Eliza Yanina Hazboun, Magnolia Keating Hazboun, Kaley Marie Player, and Scott Ryan Littleton, in addition to many profoundly beloved nieces and nephews. Christine also leaves behind four of her siblings, Elias Baboun, Amy Baboun, Joseph Baboun, and Juliana (Baboun) Attick; and she joins, in spirit, her long-missed parents Yanina and Ibrahim, and her two predeceased siblings, Johnny Baboun and Elizabeth Baboun.

It was Christine’s wish to be cremated and have her ashes scattered in water. She fervently hoped that those who loved her most would do their best to come together in happiness rather than sadness. In light of this, a celebration of life will be planned in her honor by her children—the details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/obituaries/christine-sophia-hazboun/

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