In Memoriam

Christine Lambert (Goldstrich)

Christine Lambert Goldstrich passed away on July 18, 2020.

 



 
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07/22/20 01:37 PM #1    

David Cordell

My Memories of Christine (Dana Christine Lambert Goldstrich)

 

By Tommy Thomas

 

July 21, 2020

 

1966

 

I grew up in Richardson, Texas and lived there from 1955 to 1969. For much of my youth, I had had some girlfriends but none that lasted all that long.

 

That all changed in the summer of 1966. My parents were members of the Canyon Creek Country Club, and I took advantage of being their son by using the club facilities. I was at the swimming pool at Canyon Creek Country Club in mid-summer as I was most days that summer as I recall. I was standing on the side of the pool near the shallow end when I looked toward the north. Standing on the edge of the pool in a black bikini (I remember it oh so well) with long flowing curling black hair was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life. I know that I stared beyond what would be considered polite, but I just couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Later our song would be Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

 

My friend Jimmy Baker was with me that day. He said that he knew her and had actually gone out with her once on a date. I asked him if it would be all right if I asked her out. Fortunately he said OK because I knew I was going to do it anyway. J

 

So I finally met Christine. I visited her at her house at 419 Lowell Lane and met her parents and sisters. I would become a fairly frequent visitor over the next three years as Christine and I grew closer to one another. I had never really loved a girl before, but I learned what love was by being with Christine.

 

Christine had an infectious laugh. And she had a smile that absolutely knocked me out. Her upper right lip would lift more than the left and I always thought that was a sign of beauty that was unique to her. I knew that would always be her most recognizable – and endearing – feature.

 

1967

 

In the summer of 1967 (the summer before our junior year at Richardson High School), my best friend David Cordell and I were fortunate to be able to go to Europe all by ourselves for six weeks. I had a real thirst for travel – especially to Europe – but I considered this trip to have a dark side – I would miss Christine so much.

 

And I did. But I took comfort in writing her almost every day and telling her in letters (no email or Internet in those days – only snail mail) what I was seeing and experiencing and how much I missed her. She sent me letters frequently as well. The way that we got mail was by having our letters sent to the local American Express office in the cities that we were going to visit – London, Vienna, Rome, Paris, etc. So we would get to those cities and run to the American Express office to get our mail. Although my parents sent me letters too, I was really hoping to see one – or two or three – from Christine. I can’t tell you what a joy it was for a homesick boy to get a love letter from his girlfriend in a faraway place – and Christine never disappointed me as she was a prolific writer (and talker too!).

 

Finally David and I returned from Europe. I kept a diary during that trip and, on the last day, I wrote about our reunion. Those two and a half hours I finally got to spend with Christine all alone with her were so, so wonderful.

 

These two following photos show our friend Hull Barbee, David’s girlfriend Debbie Dupree (Green), David, me, and Christine. Oh, yes, that’s my dog Mack whom evidently was sniffing around Christine and making her feel a little embarrassed.

 

 

 

 

 

1968

 

This photo below of Christine is from 1968 (as is the photo at the beginning of this story). You can see me, of course, close by as I always liked to be. The location is during lunch at the Richardson High School cafeteria. This is one of my favorite photos of Christine. Her tilted head with her beautiful long black hair and bangs framing her shining face and warm smile. Only Christine could wear a bow like that in her hair and carry it off like she did. And of course that dress – flowery and feminine that also showed her beautiful shape.  The whole package just always knocked my socks off.

 

 

Some high school friends of mine and I started a film company called Punography Ltd. We fashioned 8mm films and put soundtracks to accompany them – we thought of ourselves as sort of like the TV show Laugh In. Christine was a lead actress in one of our skits. In the opening scene, Christine and I are talking amongst a group of friends. Suddenly she steals my underwear (don’t ask how she does it – the underwear just suddenly appears in her hand) and runs off. We spend the next few minutes chasing her around the school and Richardson trying to retrieve my underwear.

 

We premiered our film to 200 of our fellow students in the spring of 1968. I know that Christine was happy to see her acting career take off in such a memorable fashion! Christine knew how to laugh and have fun.

 

I took Christine to see Jimi Hendrix at the State Fair Music Hall in the spring of 1968. Jimi was terrific, but neither of us knew how famous he would become. So if any of you ever wonder if Christine saw Jimi Hendrix live playing Purple Haze, well, yes, she did!

 

Christine and I had a lot of mutual friends and went to a lot of parties together. This photo was taken at Judye Livings’ house in Northwest Hills. Left to right are Judye Livings, Eddy Norton (the founder of the County Line barbecue restaurants), Christine, me, Terry Mitchell, and Royce Herndon (sadly Royce died March 22, 2020 we suspect of Covid-19).

 

 

Who else would I take to the Junior Prom in the spring of 1968 but Christine? Christine was a beautiful girl (young woman by this time) if she wore a T shirt and jeans, but oh my gosh, when she got herself all dolled up with her hair all curled and wearing a stunning gown, she was the most beautiful vision that anyone could ever imagine. Add to that her smile, her sense of humor, her ability to carry on a conversation with anyone she met, and you can just imagine how happy I was that she chose me to accompany her. I was – am – a lucky boy.

 

 

1969

 

Then we finished out our Senior Year at Richardson High School in the spring of 1969 – the end of the Sixties – by going to the Senior Prom together. This photo taken in the dining room of my house at 504 Canyon Creek Drive says it all, doesn’t it? Is she not the most gorgeous young woman you have ever seen?

 

 

In the fall of 1969, I was off to Austin and the University of Texas. Christine came to visit me a couple of times and I saw her on a couple of visits I made back home. We wrote and talked on the phone often. Christine stayed in Richardson and began working. As with many stories of young love, ours didn’t last to turn into a long happy marriage. I guess that’s just the way it can turn out and it wasn’t anyone’s fault and we never stopped loving and caring for one another – I know that is for sure.

 

 

2014

 

I lost track of Christine for many years (I did see her again around 1974 when she was a Braniff stewardess – just like her mother had been!). Then in 2014 I started asking around to our classmates before our 45th Reunion if anyone knew where Christine was. No one knew. But, with some sleuthing by Bruce Anderson and Karen Byler Anderson (Christine’s best friend from RHS), we discovered that her married last name was Goldstrich and, with the help of Facebook, finally located her.

 

I met Christine at her apartment in Dallas on November 13, 2014 after so many years. I brought her the champagne bottle that she had decorated for me some 45 years previous – I loved that she had spent so much time and creativity on it and it was one of my favorite gifts of all time. I left it with her to remind her of how loving she had been as a teen-ager.

 

I learned of her accident and how pain had become a companion in her life. I felt sad that this could befall such a wonderful woman, but I also saw that her spirit and beauty were still with her. I was especially sad that she had lost the ability to do her daily five-mile runs as I had been a runner as well and knew how much it meant.

 

We went to an Italian restaurant on Frankford and had a wonderful time reuniting and sharing memories from the past.

 

I learned of Christine’s marriage and her wonderful children. She spoke of each of them in such a loving way that I knew how proud and happy that they had made her.

 

So here we are in 2014. Teen-age lovers who meet again 45 years later to share their lives and memories and listen to that song Can’t Take My Eyes Off You one more time together. I was – am – so lucky to have had such a wonderful girl as my true young love.

 

:Christine & Tommy Nov 2014.jpeg

2020

 

I learned yesterday that Christine passed away on July 18, 2020 – two days before. I hope that all her family knows how much Christine meant to so many people. She was truly a beautiful woman inside and out for whom genuine caring was a natural trait. I already miss her so much. I hope that these memories help to complete your understanding of what Christine meant to this boy who loved her during our youthful years of coming to know what love is.

 



 

 


07/22/20 08:13 PM #2    

Margaret Jackson (Hill)

Sweet, sweet memories, Tommy.  Such a great tribute.

 


07/23/20 08:39 AM #3    

Pam Russell (Taylor)

Offering my condolences to Christine's family and friends. It is so hard to loose loved ones. This is tragic.


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