Paul Andrew CHRISTENSEN

CHRISTENSEN, LEONARD, POWELL, BRIDGES-CRANE, BRIDGES, CRANE, MEINKE, LEACH

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/7/2007 at 11:16:08

January 20, 2004

Communications Petty Officer First Class Paul Andrew Christensen, 38, died at his home in Brentwood, Massachusetts, on Monday, December 8, 2003. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 23, 2004, at 1:30 p.m., at the United Methodist Church in Belmond, with Pastor Mike Druhl officiating. Burial will be in the Belmond Cemetery with military rites by the U.S. Navy Funeral Detachment from the Great Lakes Naval Base in Chicago, Illinois. Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Dugger Ewing Funeral Home and one hour prior to services at the church.

Paul was born on January 22, 1965, the son of Paul E. and the late Etta Ann (Leonard) Christensen at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Oakland. He attended schools in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Manassas, Virginia, Dixon, Missouri, Eagle Grove, Iowa and graduated from high school in Loyal, Oklahoma. Paul attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman prior to entering the U.S. Navy. During his career in the Navy, Paul received his bachelors degree in history from the University of Maryland and his masters degree in business from Troy State University. He attended many service schools, including the Defense Language School (Russian) in California and Communications School in Florida. While in the Navy he served throughout the world including Iceland, Scotland, Japan, Washington D.C., Pensacola, and San Diego. Paul served on the USS LaSalle in Bahrain and served in the first Gulf War. Paul was a life member of the Belmond VFW.

Paul was preceded in death by his mother, Etta Ann Christensen; his maternal and paternal grandparents; and an uncle. Paul is survived by his wife, Rachel and step-daughter, Rosemary who currently reside in the Philippines; father and step-mother, Alice of Belmond; sister, Paula (Joe) Powell of Eagle Grove; step-sisters, Paulette (Tom) Bridges-Crane of Dows, Carolyn (Steve) Meinke of Iowa City; and step-brother Dennis (Sherri) Leach of Spirit Lake.

©Belmond Independent 2004