Christine Gee was Bryce Courtenay´s second wife who lived with him in Canberra until he recently lost his battle with Cancer…Christine was a publicist and also an adventure travel company pioneer thus co-founder of Australian Himalayan Expeditions (now World Expeditions.)
Courtenay is famous for his novels with plots set in Australia or his country of origin, South Africa.
Courtenay divorced Benita, his first wife in 2000 and was popular down under for his indiscretions during their 42-year marriage.
Before moving to Canberra, Gee and Courtenay lived in Bowral, New South Wales. Benita Courtenay died on 11 March 2007, at the age of 72, four months after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Christine was Bryce’s former publicist. He was a womanizer and had many affairs and plenty of girlfriends after separating from his wife, including literary agent Margaret Gee. She was Christine’s identical twin! But Christine didn’t start dating Bryce that easy..she failed to return his calls at the beginning.
Bryce knew Christine for several years already. She was a personal friend. The Gee sisters are almost impossible to distinguish one from the other and people tend to confuse them. Once a gossip columnist had to publish an apology for writing about a jogging expedition Courtenay went on with a “mystery” blonde, wrongly identified as Christine. Many still wonder if the woman was actually Margaret.
Christine was also avid to defend the Thin Green Line Foundation, which her husband and her supported so much. She became the ambassador of this movement.
She said about the foundation:
We cannot imagine the horror of what these rangers face each day, keeping the wildlife that we love, all the warm fuzzy stuff, that they’re out there risking their life every day.
The Courtenay-Gee were always eager to host parties to bring new associates to the foundation. It was normal to prepare a cocktail party in the eastern suburbs of Sydney to host people and spread the word.
In October 2011 Bryce married his soul mate and partner of seven years, Christine.
Bryce has credited Christine with insightful help with his novels, mostly in dark areas of research and in unraveling plot knots.
Back on September he shared this on FB:
I have been diagnosed with terminal gastric cancer and am expected to have only some months to share with my adorable wife Christine.
Christine said she found the diagnosis devastating. She added:
Bryce is Australia’s Dickens. He’s an inspiration. I’m the luckiest girl in the world to be married to him and I know he’ll live in our hearts forever.
Bryce died this Thursday Nov. 22, 2012 of stomach cancer and is survived by his wife Christine and his children Adam and Brett, also his beloved pets Tim, the dog, and Cardamon, a Burmese cat. He was 79.
Christine´s Bio
She was born in January 24, 1964 in Brooklyn, NY, USA. She is 1.63 m.
She studied Film & TV Production and Photography at Brooklyn College. She started with media at The Travel Channel as a researcher. Her first chance on the film industry was as a wardrobe supervisor. 2 years passed and she moved into the Hair/MU Dept. Since 1994 she has worked with Woody Allen as a script supervisor and became a member of the Union . Her work on TV includes: The Sopranos, Law & Order, NY Undercover, Remember W.E.N.N., The Job. She has worked in these films: She’s the One, No Looking Back, Ash Wednesday, Sidewalks of NY, Features: Pride & Glory, The Proprietor, The Substance of Fire, Remember Me. Some 2nd unit directing as well.
Gee has been a major force in adventure travel, strategic planning and marketing. She was co-founder of Australian Himalayan Expeditions and has promoted many world famous explorers and mountaineers.
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