Christine Ann Russell
August 13, 1949 - July 11, 2025

Christine Russell of Los Gatos, California passed away at her home after a truly blessed evening with friends and her husband Jim. The evening concluded with Chris and Jim returning home at twilight to continue their final magical evening together by dancing in their beautiful backyard to one of Chris’ favorite songs, “Pretty Blue Eyes.”

Chris was known by different first names throughout her life. She was Christy, or Aunt Christy, to her family. She was Chris to her husband and those who knew her in school, college and the first half of her professional career. She became known as Christine in the middle of her career at Persistence Software; the company had several executives named Chris, including the CEO, so she became professionally known as Christine from 1997 on.

Chris is survived by Jim, her husband of 43 years and partner for nearly half a century; her mother Carmen Ackmann; sisters Debbie Nauseda (Harry), Paula Phipps (Greg), Hugh Shyba (Cheryl); twelve nieces and nephews, and thirteen grand nieces and nephews. Chris was predeceased by her grandparents Hugh and Mabel Delong, her father Paul Shyba, sisters Valerie Negler and Leslie Blosser.

Born Christine Ann Shyba in Portland, Oregon, she was the oldest of six and spent her pre-high school years in Washington State. Her father Paul, a salesman for Levers Brothers, relocated the family to San Jose, California after Chris graduated from the 8th grade to take advantage of the state’s inexpensive in-state college system. Chris then attended Presentation High School, a member of the second graduating class, going on Santa Clara University earning her BA in English Literature (1971) and later her MBA in Finance (1983.)

Chris’ career in Silicon Valley spanned five decades. During her career Chris served as CFO of twelve technology companies: six were publicly traded NASDAQ listed companies (Valence Technologies, Persistence Software, Ceva Inc., Virage Logic, UniPixel and PDF Solutions); six were venture capital or private equity backed companies (Covalent Systems, Cygnus Solutions, OuterBay Technologies, EAG Inc., and Vendavo.) Chris was particularly proud of her role in taking two companies public and driving acquisitions on both the sell and buy side of the mergers and acquisitions process at a number of her other companies. Finally, Chris served on five public company Board of Directors, continuing to serve on three of them until her passing (QuickLogic, eGain and AXT) and was active in several professional organizations: NACD (past president), SVDX (Chairman Emeritus) and FEI (past president.)

Although she would scoff at this characterization, one of her close personal and professional friends for over 50 years characterized Chris as a “true Silicon Valley pioneer,” by serving as CFO for multiple technology companies which, at the time, was a male dominated fraternity. Chris would simply say: “I just did my job the best I knew how!”

In developing Chris’ story close friends, family, and colleagues were asked to describe their perception of Chris, the person. Descriptions and stories came flowing in! Chris was variously described as: “generous, magnetic, full of life and positive energy, naturally disarming, had a big heart, was a force, witty, supportive, non-judgmental, spunky, empathetic, forever curious, and possessed an infectious smile.”

Chris was all these things and more! She was extremely generous with her time and resources: whether helping a family member in financial need; assisting with her nieces and nephews college tuition; helping finance a young lady from Jim’s high school realize her dream of attending and graduating from Santa Clara University; volunteering as a foster child court appointed advocate through the CASA program; contributing to, and serving on the Board of Directors of, Bulamu Healthcare International, a non-profit organization providing pop-up medical camps in rural Uganda; or donating to Father Bob McCahill’s (aka Bicycle Bob) efforts to bring help and hope to the poor of Bangladesh.

Chris loved to travel. She and Jim went all over the world and throughout the United States. As one of Chris and Jim’s close traveling companions observed: “it wasn’t just about traveling with Chris, it was how she found the magic in each place and shared it with all of us.” Chris and Jim made it a point each Thanksgiving, to return to her grandparents’ old home on Camano Island, Washington, with its expansive view of Mt. Baker and the Cascades, and the natural wonders of blue herons and bald eagles all around.

Chris was devoted to her physical fitness regime. For over a quarter of a century, including the day of her passing when she attended two morning classes, Chris would typically attend classes four days a week at the Bay Club, formerly the Decathlon Club. In doing so, she developed lasting bonds with instructors and fellow fitness devotees. Chris re-connected, during the COVID lockdowns, with a former employee who some years earlier had left the world of finance to become a personal trainer and whose gym business was shut down for over a year. Chris began working out with Dan two days a week via Zoom and continued until her passing. Needless-to-say Chris was very physically fit!

Finally, Chris had a special magnetism that drew people to her. Without being flamboyant, she had that special ability to “light up the room.” It was her smile, energy, natural beauty, optimism, and authenticity that immediately attracted people to her. Friends and family echoed a common refrain: “Chris is a person I can trust!!”

One of Chris’ close professional and personal friends reflected upon hearing the news of her death by saying this: “Chris was the real deal.” That sums it up! The challenge for all whom Chris left behind: her husband, family, friends, colleagues, and those whom she touched in daily life and through her volunteer work, is to carry forward her eternal flame of: optimism, good cheer, and a can-do spirit. In this way Christine Russell’s memory will never fade.

A funeral mass is planned for Saint Mary’s Church in Los Gatos at 11 a.m., August 29, 2025, followed by a private burial service. A “celebration of Chris’ life” will be held on Saturday, October 18. More information is available here. Thank you for not sending flowers; in their place, please consider making a donation in Christine Russell’s memory to one of these organizations that Chris was passionate about and proud to support their work: Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (Father Bob McCahill MA account); Bulamu Healthcare International; Yellowstone Forever “The Wolf Project”; and Young America’s Foundation.