Dr. Jacqueline J. Christman

Dr. Jacqueline Jeanne Christman, 83, of Rochester, NY passed away peacefully Saturday, October 12, 2024 at Strong Memorial Hospital after a month-long illness.

Jaqueline "Jackie" was born in Newark, NJ, the eldest of three siblings, to the late Hazel Ethel (Myers) Christman of Philadelphia, PA, and Miles Shelly Christman, Sr. of Trumbauersville, PA. The family moved to Western New York where she attended public schools, and enjoyed piano and gymnastics lessons.  After her father died at a young age, Jackie helped care for her younger siblings and pets while her mother worked to support the family. These responsibilities fueled her early drive for future leadership. Prior to attending college, Jackie’s first jobs were as a retail clerk and a scrub technician. 

Dr. Christman attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1962, where she met the love of her life, Carmen. Upon her return home, she earned a Master’s Degree in Education in 1965 and became a first-grade teacher and later taught kindergarten. In 1970 she returned to school to earn her MBA and took a position as an elementary school principal.

During her early educational career, Dr. Christman served as Principal of Charlotte Cross School, a K-7 school in the city of Lockport, New York that served lower-middle income families. There, she carried out the goals of the district by evaluating programs and teacher performance, focusing on the most concerning areas of reading and math. She had the advantage of being able to provide curricula in music, art, special tutoring classes, and physical education. Most students graduated from high school, although few went on to college.

At the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Business, Jackie taught both hearing- impaired and deaf student courses in Business Management. She spearheaded the reinvigoration of a tutoring service in American Sign Language and fingerspelling, increasing the number of note-takers and tutors in the program by 50%.

Inspired yet again, Jackie simultaneously pursued a career in medicine, graduating with her MD in the 1990s after completing two residencies, at Lockport Community Hospital and the University of Buffalo for Family and Preventive Medicine.  During her career she went on to hold positions in family practice as a clinical physician, and in various state and private medical directorships. During her second residency, Jackie earned her Master’s in Epidemiology, her final degree in an inspiring educational career.

During her career at Mercer University School of Medicine, Jackie taught and mentored numerous medical students and worked with faculty to improve communications and relationships between faculty and students to enhance overall organizational quality improvement.

While at SUNY Brockport Student Health Center, Dr. Christman was the Chief Staff Physician and Medical Director and supervised advanced practice nurses, LPN's and clerical staff, as well as offered direct care to all students. She initiated automated phone service, offered commentary regarding many health conditions, and reorganized the clinic to facilitate and serve students efficiently and provide better privacy. She also initiated electronic medical record keeping, and established a more direct relationship with the mental health team within the clinic.

Jackie was instrumental in a start-up practice for women only and staffed exclusively by women.  She stressed openness, partnerships with patients, and health and well-being utilizing complementary medicine and sensitive listening. She attracted and retained women of great diversity and complexity as well as their spouses.

Throughout her career, Jackie occupied many impressive professional roles, including her final appointment prior to retirement with the State of Delaware.  She held several positions within Public Health including Medical Director for the state clinics, Chief of Community Health Care Access, and the Director of Delaware Office of Women's Health; where she focused on addressing obesity, intimate partner violence and cardiovascular disease. Within this role she represented public health on various committees and taskforces including the Governor’s Teen Dating Taskforce, Children’s Trust Fund, violence against women groups, and worked directly with the local media and various legislators. 

Jackie enjoyed a very fulfilling and rewarding personal and professional life, but still made time to be involved in community service.  She has been on the Board of Directors of numerous organizations, including the YWCA of Rochester, the Children’s Trust Fund of Delaware, and the Delaware New Castle County League of Women’s Voters. Additionally, Jackie was always a huge supporter of the Sierra Club, Adirondack Mountain Club, public television, and many other non-profit organizations.

Anyone who knew Jackie knows she carried a strong passion for women’s rights and female empowerment, and she strongly advocated for women to be heard on many topics including sexual abuse and harassment, hostile work environments, domestic violence, diversity, and women’s health. 

Dr. Christman met many people both personally and professionally among her travels to Delaware, Georgia, New York, Europe, and the local, national, and international conferences in which she attended throughout her career. She treasured each intellectual conversation and enjoyed mentoring numerous students throughout her teaching and medical careers.

Jackie is preceded in death by her father, Miles Shelly Christman, Sr. in 1946; mother, Hazel Ethel Myers Christman in 1979; brother, Miles Shelly Christman, Jr. in 1987; her loving husband, Carmen John Scalea in 2006; and cousins, Clayman C. Myers, Jr. in 2012, Richard Montgomery in 2021, and Edwin Dahrsnin in 2022.

She is (possibly) survived by an estranged sister of several decades, Geraldine Christman Hanley; and estranged niece, Shelly Hanley.  She is survived by nephew, Luk Christman of Rochester, NY; and cousin, Al Dahrsnin of Greece, NY; as well as extended family and friends. 

She is also survived by her dear and close friends of many years, Moonyeen “Kloppy” Klopfenstein, and Tony and Dr. Michelle Ward, who were at her bedside during her passing and offer deepest gratitude to the palliative care nursing staff at Strong Memorial Hospital for the excellent, compassionate, caring, personalized, and dedicated nursing care provided to Dr. Christman during her transitional time.

A very special thank you to Dr. Matthew Gross, MD, Jackie’s Nephrologist, with whom she shared a fondness and strong bond.  He went above and beyond for Dr. Christman during her time at Strong Memorial and throughout her renal care. He is the absolute best and cannot be thanked enough!

Jackie will be sorely missed by all who knew her as she was one of a kind and can never be forgotten; she touched the lives of everyone who made her acquaintance and took the time to have an intriguing, yet inspiring debate, as Jackie might say!

There are no services planned at this time. Interment at White Haven Memorial Park will be private. 

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