Christine F. Devlin

Devlin, Christine F., 69, of Atlantic City, passed away on January 1, 2020. She was born on January 27th 1950 in Jersey City, NJ, raised in Hoboken. From the start Chrissy was a performer, often putting on shows with her younger sister, Barbara. Her explosive sense of humor, quick wit, and incredible voice captivated all who knew her, eventually leading her to the stage. In her late teens she performed in clubs in North Jersey and Staten Island. In the early 1970s she moved to Atlantic City and started working the club scene. During these years she performed at notable places including The Jockey Club with pianist, George Mesterhazy and her soon to be brother-in-law, saxophonist Buzzy Renn. Other venues included Little John’s, Johnny Patch’s Lounge, and My Way Lounge. Upon the opening of Resorts Casino & Hotel, Chrissy and her group, “Waterfront Jazz” were among the first musical groups to play the Rendezvous Lounge. During the 1980s Chrissy worked for the Shubert Organization as a phone operator at Telecharge. At times this position doubled as a platform for her comedy, and she quickly gained a reputation for her hilarious descriptions, voices and witty repartee. She even caught the attention of the NY press who advised readers to call her instead of seeing a badly reviewed show. In addition to music and the theater, Chrissy had many passions. She was a dedicated animal lover, history buff, visual artist, and lifelong fan of the written word. Chrissy was also a proud member of the LGBTQ community and passionate HIV/AIDS activist. At the center of her life was her love of family. Chrissy was happiest when singing and telling stories with her mother, sisters, nieces & nephews, and dear friends. Unfortunately, Chrissy suffered with many serious health problems including the disease of addiction. She leaves to mourn, and cherish her memory: her sisters, Barbara Devlin (Ralph Paduano), and Deirdre Devlin Amonte (Andrew), as well as her nieces, Kathleen Renn, Kelly M. Renn (Evan Sanchez), Nicole Hanley, Lauren Hanley, Deirdre Amonte, nephew, Andrew Amonte and paternal uncle, Gerard Devlin. She is also survived by her loving great-nieces and nephew. A gathering will be 5PM to 7PM on Friday, January 10, 2020 at Parsels Funeral Home, 324 New Jersey Ave., Absecon. Memorial contributions may be made to South Jersey AIDS Alliance/Oasis, 19 Gordon Valley, Atlantic City, NJ 08401. For online condolences, please visit www.parselsfh.com.