Colleen Elizabeth Christensen

Colleen Elizabeth Christensen, cherished mother, daughter, sister, and friend, passed away suddenly on Friday, April 5, 2024. Colleen was a native Atlantan. Born in 1980, Colleen spent her early childhood dominating neighborhood capture-the-flag, kickball, and in-the-dark hide-and-seek tournaments. She loved Christmas, and her favorite gift as a child was a look-a-like Cabbage Patch Doll. The doll was almost as adorable as Colleen – blond with blue eyes and a sweet face. She was an avid soccer player. Her opponents were no match for her left-footed kick, a technique that was refined out of necessity to stymy her little sister’s propensity for biting. Later in childhood, Colleen was an honor student and member of the National Honors Society, Beta Club, chorus, debate team, and drama club. She starred in South Gwinnett High School’s production of Pride and Prejudice her senior year. On the debate team, she participated in debates as well as extemporary competitions.

Colleen attended, and graduated with honors, from the University of Georgia. She followed in her mother’s footsteps by studying accounting. She studied abroad at Oxford University and at the Residence all’Adige in Verona, Italy. Colleen’s studies abroad ignited a love for travel and exploration. While a student at UGA, Colleen wrote an opinion that was published in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s “New Attitudes” column espousing the benefits of her University of Georgia public education. The column drew such attention that Colleen received complements from University of Georgia President Michael Adams and was interviewed by Loran Smith on-air prior to a University of Georgia football game.

Colleen’s love for UGA football was so infectious that she convinced her father, an avid Florida Gator, to “call the dawgs” on her matriculation day. She graduated in 2003 after completing a five-year program that led to her earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Masters of Accountancy. She passed the CPA examination after graduation.

Colleen began her career as an auditor at PwC. Five years later, she joined the audit group at Georgia-Pacific, where she worked for fifteen years. She held various positions at Georgia-Pacific and was most recently promoted to Vice President of Global Compliance and Ethics. She was a board member of the Atlanta Compliance and Ethics RoundTable and co-chaired the program committee.

Colleen volunteered with the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and the Howard Middle School Parent Teacher Organization. She enjoyed travelling, taking Pure Barre classes, and loved Taylor Swift concerts.

Colleen’s greatest joy and accomplishment in life was her daughter, Elizabeth Jane. She imbued Elizabeth with her love of travel and adventure. They both became Disney enthusiasts, visiting virtually every Disney park, worldwide, with their friend Aunt Jacqueline. Colleen loved to cheer on Elizabeth at her tennis practices and matches and was proud of her progress on the tennis court.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 11, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill, 4550 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. A memorial service will follow in the chapel at 6:00 PM.