Christine Tani

Christine Maria (Hintz) Tani was born March 27, 1972 in Fort Meade, Maryland to William “Bill” Hintz and Josefine “Alice” (Staudt) Hintz. The family story starts in Germany, where Bill was stationed while serving in the United States Air Force. There he met and married Alice, and the two started a family when Christine’s older brother, Mark, was born. The Air Force later moved the family to Laurel, Maryland where Christine was born. When Christine was three years old the family moved to Pembroke Pines, Florida where Christine would spend the rest of her life.

Christine graduated from Cooper City High School in 1990. Being the independent woman that we all knew, Christine financed her own way through college. She first obtained an Associate of Science in Nursing with honors from Broward College. Christine continued her education at Florida International University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1994. Christine continued her education and pursued her goal of becoming a nurse practitioner by earning her Master of Science in Nursing from Florida International University in 1997. Her thesis was titled “Comparison of Postoperative Pain Intensity Ratings as Perceived by Children (Aged 7– 18 Years), Their Mothers, and Their Nurses.”

Christine started her career in health care in 1995 as a registered nurse, working in the emergency room at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. After becoming one of the first pediatric nurse practitioners in South Florida, in 1999 Christine joined Children’s Medical Center in Pembroke Pines. Christine became somewhat of a local celebrity, caring for thousands of children and building countless relationships and lifelong friendships with many of her patients, their parents, and her colleagues. What started as a joke in 2015 defined the rest of her nursing career. A friend who worked at Memorial asked Christine if she knew anyone looking for a job in the pediatric neurosurgery department at Joe DiMaggio. Christine said “Maybe I’ll just apply,” to which her friend replied “Perfect.” Christine said she was only kidding since she didn’t know anything about pediatric neurosurgery, but her friend convinced her she would be great, so Christine took a leap of faith, and the rest is history. Again, Christine became somewhat of a local celebrity, and an even better resource for the endless people to whom she was the “after-hours dial-a-doc.” Christine would finish her professional career there, again turning her coworkers into lifelong family.

On April 5, 2003, Christine’s life was forever brightened when her son Alexander William Colucci was born. Alex was the center of her universe, and Christine often referred to him as her “heartbeat.” They were more than mother and son–they were each other’s everything. Christine served as Alex's mother, father, best friend, travel and concert companion, football buddy, Spider Man sidekick, and countless other roles. They were as close as any mother and son ever were. Together, Christine and Alex traveled the world, exploring Yosemite, Rome, Germany and many other unforgettable destinations. Christine loved live music/concerts, and together she and Alex saw Bon Jovi, Machine Gun Kelly, The Kid LAROI and dozens of other bands. It's no wonder that Christine became lovingly known to Alex as the "Mother of All Mothers.”

Most national experts agree that the best thing to happen during the COVID pandemic was when Christine met Jason Tandlich. During one of the CMC girls’ infamous Sunday brunches, Jason and some of his best friends cruised up to the Yot Bar dock to also partake in Sunday Funday festivities. Jason famously asked, “Aunt Carol, what are you doing here?” Perhaps sensing a spark, Aunt Carol said, “Christine, this is my nephew Jason, the firefighter. Jason, Christine’s son wants to be a firefighter. Give her some advice.” While neither was looking for a relationship, it quickly became a love story for the ages. Their first date, to watch Jason’s cousin Victor sing and play piano, lasted two days, and Christine and Jason immediately became inseparable. They spent hours on the phone like teenage lovebirds, sometimes talking until 4 a.m. They traveled the world together. Christine taught Jason about wine, rock and roll, and how to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. Though Jason jokes that he didn’t really teach her much, Christine experienced true and unconditional love, often telling other, “He’s the best person I know,” citing his kind, caring, compassionate, fun and loving nature. With him, Christine learned how much sweeter life is when shared between two people who embrace all aspects of life together. Christine and her neighbors were as close as family, and when she brought Jason into the group, he was welcomed with open arms. On July 4, 2024, after Jason received Alex’s permission, the three of them returned to Yot Bar where Christine and Jason met, this time so Jason could ask Christine to make him the luckiest man in the world. Spoiler alert: she said yes! On May 31, 2025, Christine and Jason were married at Ocean Reef in Key Largo, in an intimate ceremony with only their three sons and Ms. Kathy, the officiant. Ms. Kathy met Christine as Alex's preschool teacher, and she and Christine had remained friends ever since. From that moment, there was never any “step” in the conversation. That day, Christine gained two more sons, Jack and Andrew, and Jason gained another son, Alex. Their family was finally complete.

Christine was so many things to so many people. She touched countless lives, not only as a primary care provider and in the neurosurgery department, but also by never being too busy to answer the phone for an impromptu consultation or to call in a prescription for a sick friend. Christine was the glue that held so many groups together. She threw baby showers, birthday and graduation parties, planned year-end work parties, and hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas, always wanting to celebrate with the loved ones in her life. Christine learned from the master traveler, Aunt Carol, and loved to plan vacations for herself and others. She even once surprised Jason with a vacation to New Orleans. Christine knew how to do one thing better than anyone in the world–live life right and to the fullest!

In August 2023, Christine was diagnosed with stage 1 colon cancer, the same disease that took her father at 59. She had many rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries, including the “Mother of All Surgeries.” (That’s what it’s actually called; Google it to learn more.) Christine was considered in remission several times, but the disease kept reoccurring. Christine fought harder than anyone, right up to the end. Christine is survived by her son, Alexander, her stepsons, Jack and Andrew, her husband, Jason, her mother, Alice, and her brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Margaret.