Christian Sigmund Johnsen

Christian Sigmund Johnsen was born to his then 23 year old mother, Kathleen and 32 year old father Sterling, at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver on the 14th of December 1948. He was 10 pounds 2 ounces, which was a big baby for those days. The nurses nicknamed him “Baby Champ” because he looked so muscular. When his Mom and Dad brought him home from the hospital they were in between houses, so they lived in a motel for a couple of months. Chris’ crib was a drawer in their dresser.

Sterling was engaged in commercial fishing at the time and the family relocated to the remote fishing village of Kyuquot on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The family took up residence in a floating house in the inlet. No hand rails, no life jackets; sink or swim get on with it, have a nice day.

The family then moved to Edmonton and in December, 2 days before Chris’ birthday he welcomed his little brother, Jeff's, arrival. The family then moved on to Calgary where Chris began first grade and in January welcomed his second brother, Ken as the newest addition to his family. The family moved

to Vancouver in August 1955 and then in December 1955 moved again to Langley where Chris attended grade 2 at Otter Elementary School. In April 1957 his sister Charline arrived. The family continued to live in Langley for fourteen years.

The years from 1954 through 1966 were wonderful years to grow up in a rural environment. Four miles east of Langley, population 5000 and four miles west of Aldergrove, population 500......Those were years of watching the indian head test pattern on TV, going to Boy Scouts, delivering newspapers for 1 cent per copy, cutting firewood for $1 per cord, hand catching flying squirrels for $1 each, building tree forts and Tarzan-type swings, and cementing lifelong friendships with kids in the neighborhood like Jim Marinello who attended Otter School with Chris just over 60 years ago.

Chris bought his first car, a Valient, with the money he saved running a paper route, haying for some local farmers, and doing odd jobs for his uncle. He completed his secondary education at Aldergrove Secondary School, graduating from grade 12 there in 1966.

Chris lived through the cultural shifts of the 60's and 70's and all that those times came to represent. Chris started working for the BC Buildings Corp in 1977, when they built the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery. He continued to work there up until a couple of months ago, when he was too ill to work.

Prior to that, he did contracting work in the Abbotsford area for a few years. Out of high school he worked at a peat bog in Ft Langley. Only those who were there in those days know what it meant to be able to call yourself one of Benny Bell's "Bog Boys". It was the best of times and the worst of times, depending on your personal experiences through that period in history in this little corner of the world.

In 1974 he met Luella Penner (Lue), whom he married on September 8, 1979. In 1980, he and Lue moved into a house on Consort Court in Abbotsford. Because this was a new house, and under construction when purchased, he was very excited to have input into the design. He made a plan of the front and back yard, and laid out the plants, trees and flowers that were to be planted. He researched each plant to make the best choice for each space in the garden. A couple of months later their first child, Laine, was born on March 16, 1981. On August 6, 1983, their son Craig was born. Chris dearly loved his 3 grandchildren – Bailey (3.5), Kingston (2), and Noah (1).

Music had always been a big part of family life. His father, Sterling played the harmonica and ‘the bones’, while the children sang. The kids always had to perform whenever company came. Chris’ wife Luella taught him to play guitar, and he would play and sing whenever he had the chance.

Chris took great satisfaction in his work, in his art - including lapidary, gold and silver smithing and carving (he even made Lue’s engagement and wedding rings). He loved children and animals and took great delight in researching everything that he had an interest in. He was a real do-it-yourselfer. He enjoyed the outdoors, movies, reading, photography, writing poetry, songs, and even plays. He was also a very fair and compassionate person.

In February of 2015 he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, metastasized to the bone. Chris spent 7 weeks in the hospital beginning in May. The last two months of his life were spent at home. On August 12, 2015, Chris passed away peacefully with his family by his side at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. It was his faith in Christ that made it possible to go through this valley with the tremendous peace that he experienced and exhibited. When asked if he was worried or scared, he would respond, “I don’t have it in me to be scared and I don’t have a worry in the world.”

Chris will be greatly missed by his wife, Luella; daughter, Laine (Michael) Krahn, son, Craig (Alyssa); grandchildren: Bailey, Kingston and Noah; 3 siblings, Jeff (Rose Marie), Ken and Charline, family and friends - whom he loved dearly.

A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at 2:30 pm at Sevenoaks Alliance Church, 2575 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford, BC.

Donations may be made to the BC Cancer Foundation.

. . .the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46