Christa Brandt

Christa Hertha Martha Brandt (nee Rehfeld), age 84, of Wayne, passed away on Friday, December 27, 2019 peacefully at home.

Christa was born to Alfred and Gertrude Rehfeld in Hamburg, Germany in 1935.  She attended school in Hamburg and upon her eighth grade graduation attended secretarial school. Growing up, playing the accordion was her passion and she travelled Europe in an accordion ensemble to perform concerts.  Then Christa went to work for Carl Spaeter Gruppe and later the Strüver Company in Hamburg, where she would meet her future husband, Bernhard.  She married him and they moved to the United States to start a life together in 1958.  They settled in New York City where Christa found work at a jewelry factory and at Lane Bryant.  In 1962 they moved to the rural town of Wayne, New Jersey where Christa would live for the next 57 years.  Through the years they enjoyed family trips to Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire and the Pocono Mountains.  In her and her husband’s retirement, they enjoyed road trips to Florida, Arizona, and Texas. Christa and Bernhard had a loving marriage of over forty-six years before his passing in 2004.

Christa will be remembered as a loving and quiet person who wasn’t afraid to try new things. She was an excellent cook and baker.  She was also a very crafty person who loved to sew and do embroidery, appliqué, macrame, and puzzles.  She even used to make all of her own clothes and clothes for her children.  Christa also had a green thumb, especially for her many African violet plants.  

Christa was predeceased by her loving husband Bernhard (d.2004). She is survived by her daughter Diane Hering and her husband Paul of Wayne, son Andy Brandt and his wife Eliana of Wayne, grandchildren Christopher, Kaitlyn, Melissa, Paula, Ana Karolina, Naila, and Joshua (who all called her Oma), and her cherished caregiver of 11 years Rebecca Owens and her husband, John, and son, Jason.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Lewy Body Dementia Association or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research would be greatly appreciated.