John C. Christ

Judge John Celia Christ, age 97, of Indianapolis, Indiana passed away on Friday, September 27, 2024, surrounded by family and in a room filled with love and care. John was born at his home on the southside of the city in 1927 to his parents Costa (Gus) and Athena Christ. Gus was a railroader who was tragically killed in a train accident in the bitter winter of 1936. Athena raised John and his brother George and sisters Lenna and Mary in a small house set hard against the Belt Railroad on Beecher Street.

John was a proud graduate of Arsenal Technical High School in 1944; he entered Butler University that same year. His college education was put on hold by World War II and John enlisted in the U.S. Navy as soon as he turned 18 in 1945. He received training in small landing craft at Great Lakes Naval Training Center and was assigned to the Naval Base in San Diego to prepare for the invasion of Japan. When the war ended and his service to his country was complete, he returned home to his family and the city he loved.

He resumed his education at Butler armed with educational credits from the Navy, a piercing intellect, and an unmatched drive to achieve. He graduated from Butler in 1949 and took law school classes while in his last year as an undergraduate through the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis. John graduated from law school in 1951 and immediately started into private practice with his older brother, George Christ.

He began his legal career pursuing collection accounts on behalf of attorneys John Gardis and Bill Regas. (These two veteran lawyers taught him the immense value of a “Do-List” and those of you who knew him well probably experienced this detail as he would tirelessly and relentlessly pore over his daily plan of attack, outlining what he would do and how he would do it, every day of his life.)

Our father achieved so much and received many accolades in his life, but his greatest accomplishment was his choice of life partner. John met the love of his life, Eileen O’Connor Christ in 1958. They had an immediate and unbreakable connection that lasted for 66 years. He often remarked, “I looked into those beautiful blue eyes, and I knew she was the one!” Eileen and John enjoyed a wonderful life together, happily married for 63 years, traveling the United States and all over the world, but most significantly to visit and reconnect with her family in Italy and his family in Greece. They both shared a passion for horse racing and many of their happiest times were spent at racetracks all over the country. They were supportive partners, caring spouses and amazing parents. Eileen preceded him in death in June of this year, and John’s heart ultimately could not continue beating without her by his side.

With Eileen’s support, John became a signal figure in Indianapolis politics in the 1950’s through to the 1980’s. His political career started in 1953 when he became a deputy Attorney General working with the Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission. He became involved with the Democratic Party in Indianapolis, forming the Southside Democrat Club with longtime friend and fellow attorney Owen Mullin. John served as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1956, 1960, and 1968. He ran for Mayor of Indianapolis in 1958 and 1975 and was twice the party nominee for Marion County Prosecutor in 1966 and 1970. The 1966 campaign was a watershed moment for our father. At the age of 39, he ran against the slated candidate and emerged victorious at the county convention. He did not attain the position of Marion County Prosecutor, but the battles he fought and the friends he made shaped his career and his life

John was appointed a Marion County Municipal Court Judge in 1957 by Governor Harold Handley and for three more terms by three other governors (Gov. Matthew Welsh, Gov. Roger Branigin and Gov. Edgar Whitcomb). His court won national awards for innovation in traffic court administration. He helped create and champion the first mental health court in Marion County during his time on the bench and presided over hundreds of thousands of cases.

His service on the bench was marked with unique wisdom and compassion. Because of his humble beginnings on the rough southside of Indianapolis in the Great Depression, he took care to temper justice with mercy, mindful of the needs of working men and women and those living on the margins of society. He served as the Judge of Marion County Municipal Court 5 until 1970, and he began a long and successful career as a defense attorney in private practice until his retirement. He helped thousands of clients as an attorney, bringing that same compassion and wisdom to his advocacy.

John was the recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash presented to him in 1996 by Governor Evan Bayh and the Hanson E Anderson Service Award as an outstanding alumnus of Arsenal Technical High School presented that same year.

John is survived by his son John M. Christ (Victoria); and daughter Annie Christ (Rusty Jones); He is also survived by grandchildren Mary Eileen (David Pennington) Christ, John Anthony Christ, and Lucy Garcia and his nephew George Farley. John is predeceased by his wife Eileen O’Connor Christ, his parents, Costa (Gus) and Athena Christ, his brother George Christ and his sisters Lenna Christ and Mary Christ. The family will be eternally grateful for the loving care our parents received at Hooverwood and by our huge beloved Christ/O’Connor family and close friends.

Visitation will be held at Leppert Mortuary, 740 E. 86th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, Wednesday October 2nd, 2024 from 4p-7p. A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 5692 Central Avenue Thursday October 3rd, 2024 at 11:00 am. Interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to The Little Sisters of the Poor or Hooverwood Living.