Christina Jordan 1945-2024
SALIDA, Colo. — Christina Jordan, 79, formerly of Warren, died peacefully, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at Regional Hospice in Danbury, Connecticut, with her family and her dog, Poppet, by her side.
She had traveled from Colorado to explore medical care near her daughter in Mount Kisco, New York. Chris had been fighting cancer since 2007.
Chris’ life was spent largely in Ohio, first in Warren, then in Cincinnati, before she and her husband, Warren native Joe Jordan, retired to Salida.
Chris was the child of Polish refugees Kazimierz “Peter” and Ewa Swisterski.
She was born in Rome, Italy, in 1945, and was baptized at the Vatican. The family moved to Scotland, then England, from where her physician father took a two-year medical assignment in the British West Indies before immigrating to the United States.
In Manhattan, 8-year-old Chris read extensively at the New York Public Library, while her father completed his residency before taking a position as an anesthesiologist at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren.
Chris attended St. Mary School, graduating from St. Mary High School (now Warren JFK) in 1962. She loved water ballet, tennis, water skiing and snow skiing, and became an accomplished pianist, favoring Poland’s Chopin. Chris went on to graduate from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. majoring in pre-med, then attended Boston University, completing a science communication program. Recognizing she had gifts of listening and compassion, she later obtained a Master of Arts degree in pastoral counseling at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati.
For 13 years at Franciscan Communications in Cincinnati, Chris coordinated books-on-tape working with internationally known theologians. She also reviewed books on spirituality, including Christian mysticism. Chris later completed Clinical Pastoral Experience training and worked as a chaplain at Cincinnati hospitals. Fluent in Polish and French, Chris also spoke some Italian, Hebrew and Greek.
She had traveled extensively since childhood. This was a blessing, when as a chaplain, she encountered patients with various international backgrounds.
Chris is survived by her husband of 57 years, Joe Jordan of Salida; daughter, Jacquelyn Jordan (Ted Plonchak) of Mount Kisco, New York; son, Phillip Jordan of Los Angeles, California; and granddaughters, Sofia and Maya Plonchak of Mount Kisco.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and an infant brother, George.
A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in the Kenwood suburb of Cincinnati.
(special notice)