Ron Christenson

Christenson was born Aug. 31, 1947, in Austin. He graduated from Austin’s Lanier High School in 1965. He started working for IBM in Austin in 1967. He started by loading and unloading trucks on the company’s shipping dock and eventually worked his way up to being a second-level manager, supervising more than 50 people. Christenson spent some years working in IBM’s world trade division. His projects included helping establish a new system at IBM France.

He later went back to school and earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration at St. Edwards University in Austin in 1981, graduating magna cum laude, despite the fact that he still was busy with a full-time job at IBM. For a time, he worked in the consulting arm of IBM, traveling all over the country while designing computer systems to be installed in major client firms.

Christenson loved his dogs, and he loved to fish and hunt. He competed in dozens of fishing tournaments around Texas over the course of his lifetime. He was one of the founders of the IBM Bass Club, which later became the River City Bass Club. In 1976, he was part of the River City Bass Club team that won first place in the state Top Six Tournament in Toledo Bend.

Christenson also was a skilled bowler who bowled in many Austin leagues and competed in the Texas Tournament Bowlers Association. In one TTBA tournament, he placed second, scoring a 299 – one pin short of a perfect game. Christenson retired in the late 1990s and moved in 2006 to Aransas Pass, where he switched from fresh-water to saltwater fishing. He often took to the waters with longtime friend Pat Murphy of Wimberley.

He was preceded in death by two sons, Robert Allen Christenson and Richard Glenn Christenson; and his parents, Allen and Flora Bohls Christenson.

Christenson is survived by his wife, Cyndi Christenson of Aransas Pass; a daughter, Michelle Christenson Parker (with husband Dan Parker) of Port Aransas; a grandson, Zachary Allen Parker of Port Aransas; a brother, Allen Christenson (with wife, Benita Christenson) of Austin; and many nieces and nephews.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening, on Monday, the 30th of April 2012, at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas.

Graveside services will be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 1st of May 2012, at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery, 14501 North IH-35, Pflugerville, Texas 78660 under the direction of Cook-Walden Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers and customary remembrances, the family suggests memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association, 9430 Research Blvd. #150, Austin, Texas 78759 in honor of Ron Christenson.

Condolences may be sent to www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com.