Ralph E. Chris Christensen

Ralph E. “Chris” Christensen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, at San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown on July 15, 2018 after a brief illness. He was 90 years old. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 67 years, P.C., who passed away in February. He is survived by his daughter Amy Christensen and son-in-law Bill Meehan of Tyrone, New York; son Timothy Christensen and daughter-in-law Melissa Christensen of Baytown; grandchildren Kyle, Hannah, Dylan and Kara Christensen; adopted granddaughter Nicole Muoio; sister-in-law Hazel Christensen, niece Debra Christensen, nephew Doug Christensen, cousin Ulla Conine and dear family friend and caregiver Patty Perez. He was preceded in death by his parents, Christian Axel and Signe Egeberg Christensen, and his twin brother, Homer “Lee” Christensen. The family is grateful to the staff at St. James House and San Jacinto Methodist Hospital for their loving care and compassion.

Chris was born on January 14, 1928 in Oak Park, Illinois. His parents both emigrated from Denmark and ran a restaurant, Christensen’s Coffee Shop, for many years in Oak Park. He and his twin brother Lee were close growing up and spent many hours together playing sports, participating in Boy Scouts and keeping each other entertained while their parents worked at the restaurant. He loved camping and canoeing and became an Eagle Scout. After graduating from high school, he attended Princeton University on scholarship. While attending Princeton, he met the love of his life, P.C., on the tennis court. They married on August 26, 1950 at the Princeton University Chapel.

Chris graduated from Princeton in 1949 with a B.S. in Chemistry. Pursuing his interest in teaching, he also earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University in 1959. His first job was teaching science at the Tenney School in Kerrville, Texas. He returned to Princeton to work at a lab in the new field of plastics, which would provide the foundation for his career. He became a chemical engineer for Union Carbide, and then took a job with Exxon (then Esso) in Linden, New Jersey. In 1969, he was transferred to Baytown and spent the remainder of his 30-year career working as a plastics engineer at the Exxon Chemical Plant. His work was central to his life, and he developed many close friendships with his colleagues. He was active for many years in the Society of Plastics Engineers.

Chris was also devoted to his family and community. He and P.C. had two children, Amy and Timothy. He was very involved with the Lakewood Pool Club and served as president. He supported his kids in their activities, serving as a timekeeper at swim meets and canoeing with his son as members of the Downhill Yacht Club.

One of Chris’ favorite places was on the tennis court. He enjoyed playing tennis with P.C., with the whole family, and with special groups of tennis friends throughout Baytown, including the courts at Lee College and Lee High School. He was an avid fan of professional tennis, and he and P.C. watched many a Grand Slam tournament together, rooting their favorite players on.

Chris was drawn to travel and learn about other countries and cultures. He never missed an opportunity to visit his relatives in Denmark and P.C.’s relatives on the Island of Guernsey. He would study diligently before every trip to Denmark so that he could communicate with his relatives in Danish.

Chris retired from Exxon in 1992 but continued to consult as a plastics engineer for a number of years. Returning to his interest in teaching, he became an adjunct professor of physics at Houston Community College. He joined the Baytown chapter of the Kiwanis Club and enjoyed participating in activities such as the Lunch Buddies program at local schools. He served on the Baytown Area Community Advisory Panel, Communities in Schools and Lakewood Neighborhood Watch. He participated in the Baytown Citizens Police Academy and was a dedicated Literacy Volunteer. He served as a docent at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Always interested in learning something new, he took Spanish and pottery courses at Lee College. He loved spending time at the Baytown Nature Center looking for birds.

Chris also enjoyed the time he spent with P.C. and his family in retirement. They shared an interest in art, theater, and watching sports together. They spent special time with family and friends at their beach house on Bolivar Peninsula. He was always enthusiastic about participating in the Bolivar Beach Clean-Up. They travelled to Big Bend National Park, Alaska, Australia, Spain and took the whole family to the Galapagos Islands for their 50th Anniversary. He was a devoted Pawpaw and loved going with P.C. (Memaw) to pick up the grandkids after school. He took pride in his grandkids’ activities, attending their sporting events, dance and piano recitals. He also could be counted on to consult on a science project, especially if it involved plastics. He documented family get-togethers by taking lots of photographs.

Despite leading such a full life, Chris had his regrets and struggles along the way. P.C. helped him find joy in life, and they were devoted to each other. We find comfort in the thought of the two of them walking the beach together again.

There will be a memorial visitation on Friday, July 20, 2018 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Navarre Funeral Home. If you wish to make a donation in Chris’s name, please donate to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.act.alz.org.

To view the online obituary or to post a tribute for the family, go to www.navarrefuneralhome.com

Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of Navarre Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr., Baytown, TX, 77521 (281) 422-8111.