Who was Spencer Lane’s mom Christine Lane? Tributes pour in as rising figure skater and mom die in DC plane crash

Tragedy struck the Rhode Island figure-skating community on January 30 as it was revealed that 16-year-old Spencer Lane, an ice figure skater, and his mother, 49-year-old Christine Conrad Lane, were among the victims of the deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.

According to reports, both U.S. and Russian figure skaters were aboard the ill-fated flight. The group had been returning from an exclusive three-day training camp organized by U.S. Figure Skating, which followed the 2025 National Championship held in Wichita.

The camp is designed for athletes showing potential as future Olympic contenders. Among those on board was 16-year-old Spencer Lane who was an adopted child from South Korea and an upcoming ice figure skating professional.

A family statement about Spencer Lane to The Providence Journal read:

"Spencer can only be described as a force of nature. You simply could not stop him if he decided he wanted to do something. There is no better example of this than his remarkable skating journey, which we are heartbroken to see end too soon. We are so grateful that his last week was filled with joy and surrounded by his beloved Skating Club of Boston and the U.S. Figure Skating family."

Christine Lane, Spencer Lane's mother was a multifaceted professional who transitioned from a successful 20-year career in marketing to pursue her true passion for quilting and creative design.

She was the founder of modern little me according to her LinkedIn profile, where she focused on modern quilting, design, and education. The statement from the Lane family described Christine Lane as:

"Christine exuded creativity throughout her life, using her formal graphic design training as a jumping-off point for seemingly endless creative pursuits across areas such as photography, quilting, knitting, and more. She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo. She was also a lover of animals, and we lost track of how many dogs she helped place in loving adoptive homes."

Douglas Lane, Spencer's heartbroken father spoke to WCVB Channel 5 Boston and described Spencer Lane as:

"A force of nature"

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Tributes pour in for Spencer Lane

On Wednesday, January 29, Spencer Lane shared a picture of the airplane wing as he prepared to depart Kansas, heading toward Washington D.C. Spencer, his mother Christine, and 65 others tragically lost their lives in the devastating crash, leaving behind his father Doug and his younger brother Milo, who was also adopted from South Korea.

Spencer Lane's grandfather Wayne Conrad gave a statement to People Magazine about the death of his daughter and grandson. He said:

“We’re still in a state of shock down here. They were greatly appreciated when we had them with us and there were lovely people, creative forces in their own way, Christine in photography and graphic arts and Spencer and creative endeavors as in figure skating competitively.”

According to Wayne Conrad, Christine accompanied Spencer Lane to the training camp, a key moment in his journey. In 2022, Spencer shared his ambition to pursue a career in figure skating.

He had started at Barrington High School during his freshman year but decided to leave in order to focus entirely on his training. While many Olympic hopefuls start their training at a younger age, Spencer remained determined to follow his dream.

Doug Zeghibe, CEO and Executive Director of the Skating Club of Boston also gave a statement about Spencer Lane. He said:

“Spencer, in the best way possible, was a crazy kid. Highly talented, like incredibly talented. Has not been skating that long and was rocketing to the top of the sport.”

The tragic loss of 16-year-old Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine, has sent shockwaves through the Rhode Island figure-skating community and beyond with tributes that continue to pour in.