About Christine Stec

June 15, 1970 - March 25, 2023

Christine (Bayiates) Stec grew up in Dedham and attended Bridgewater State College. She met and married her husband Billy, and they settled down in Dedham with their two children, Lexi who is attending Merrimack, and Dylan, who is attending Bridgton Academy. Her family was everything to her. It was her purpose in life. 

Christine was an elementary school teacher for 25 years, most of which were in the town of Dedham. She loved her job, the kids she taught and had so much passion for her work. 

In May 2022, Christine Stec received the devastating news that she had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Although that is only a tiny part of Christine’s life, it was clearly significant. Christine wasn’t your average person, she was so much more than that. She truly was an angel on earth. She gave and received compassion and love that some can only hope for. 

Upon her diagnosis, she did the unthinkable by talking to her 4th grade students honestly and letting them know she needed to see some doctors and take care of herself, and that she wouldn’t be able to finish out the year as their teacher. The strength to do that is tremendous.

She was living the most amazing life until the day she got her diagnosis. Christine viewed it as a bump in the road, a battle she planned to fight with everything she had and prevail. She was lucky enough to participate in a promising trial of medication that gave her and everyone else such high hopes. Christine started her first chemo treatment on her birthday, June 15, 2022. Although the medicine sometimes took a toll on her, she was always brave and smiled. There were many good, even great days during her treatments. As the weeks went on, it appeared to be the miracle we all hoped for. She was able to do many of the things she loved, one of which was dancing. There were many days that her husband would come home and find her dancing in the kitchen while cooking dinner.  And her motto was born, “It’s a good day to have a good day”. 

By the end of 2022, things started to shift and the trial medication was no longer working. They continued to treat her with other chemotherapy, but the cancer was aggressive. Her doctors told her and her family that they had done all they could. As hard as this news was, she still had a smile on her face, she still laughed, she still was more worried about everyone else than herself. 

On the morning of March 25, 2023, Christine got her angel wings. 

To witness the outpouring of love and prayers from those who knew and loved her, to complete strangers, was amazing. The entire town mourned her loss together and still does. To see how she touched so many lives is really a tribute to the amazing woman she was.