Christine Rosemarie Hagen died on June 8 following a long illness. A long-time resident of Sag Harbor, her friend Jill Musnicki recalled that “Christine brought an entire, magical community together in the village. She knew how to connect people and was the rock that everyone gravitated towards.”
Mrs. Hagen was born July 12, 1948, in Hannover, Germany to Ilse Bruedern and Olav Werkmeister. She grew up in Munich, and as a child spent summers with her family on the North Sea. As a child, she always wanted to live year-round in a seaside holiday community, a goal that she achieved by living in Sag Harbor.
She met her future husband and lifelong companion, Anthony Hagen, in 1969, when she worked as an au-pair in London at the residence of Mr. Hagen’s uncle. The couple moved to Munich in 1970, where they lived until 1975, and from 1976-1979, they lived in Norway. In 1980, they moved to East Hampton, and finally settled in Sag Harbor in 1981.
Mrs. Hagen lived very happily in the village and took great pleasure in working on projects in the house, including decorating and gardening, going to yard sales, and bringing people, adults and especially children, together. An accomplished hostess, Ms. Hagen frequently organized parties at her house. To beat the winter blues, the Hagens had a “breakfast salon” where they would open the doors to friends, old and new, every Sunday from New Year’s to Easter.
Besides her talents as a decorator, gardener and seamstress, Ms. Hagen also had a special passion for music. She frequently distributed mix-tapes (later CDs) to friends, and later supplied songs for her friend Carlos Lama’s radio show.
“Christine had a very eclectic taste in music, ranging from older jazz singers like Billie Holiday, to English rock n’ roll from the late sixties, to obscure bands from the 1990’s, like King Missile. We joked that she was my ‘DJ in the closet,’” said Mr. Lama.
However, her husband said that “Her greatest pleasure was her family. She loved raising her kids in Sag Harbor and immensely enjoyed her three grandchildren.”
Ms. Hagen is survived by her husband, sister Bettina Bruedern of Munich, Germany, children Anna Koncelik of Sag Harbor, Jonas and Felix Hagen of New York City, and grandchildren Melody, Sonia and Jesse Koncelik.