James George Christiansen Jr

James George Christiansen, Jr., a retired Army officer and teacher, died December 7, 2016 in Newcastle Washington, at the age of 92. Chris was born October 7, 1924 in Corvallis, Oregon, the second child of Abilene Jane Rockwell and James George Christiansen. He grew up in an Army family that was stationed in Hawaii, Alaska, the Philippines, and Washington, DC, among other places. Like his father, Chris attended West Point Military Academy. Chris graduated with honors in 1945. His first tour of duty was in Germany during the occupation. His next tour shaped his life: while stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, he met Martha Louise Vesey. They married in 1949, and remained devoted to each for sixty years, until Martha’s death in 2009.

Chris served as a field artilleryman in the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star. After receiving a master’s degree in mathematics from Columbia University, Chris returned to West Point to teach mathematics.

He studied at the Army’s Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to prepare for commanding a battalion in Hawaii. He moved to a four-year assignment at the Pentagon, and for his work there he was awarded the Legion of Merit. After serving at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Chris returned to El Paso, Martha’s hometown, to complete his Army career as the Professor of Military Science at the University of Texas at El Paso.

After retiring from the Army, Chris taught middle school mathematics in New Mexico and Texas. His students achieved remarkable gains. Chris and Martha built and enjoyed homes in El Paso, Texas, Santa Teresa, New Mexico and on the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, Texas, before moving to their last home together, the Towers on Park Lane in San Antonio. In retirement, they traveled to Rome, Paris, Lisbon, and much of Europe, as well as Moscow. Chris made his last foreign trip at age 88 in 2013 to attend his granddaughter’s wedding in Brittany, France.

All his life, Chris was devoted to his family, and he served as role model and advisor. He was preceded in death by his sisters Jane Christiansen Walker, and Lorel Christiansen Bolte. He is survived by two children, daughter Jan Christiansen Dittmar and her husband Michael of Newcastle, Washington, and son James Gregory Christiansen and his wife Svetlana of Rockville, Maryland; five grandchildren, Michael Eric Dittmar, Christen Dittmar Kartaltepe, Paul Lucas Christiansen, Daniel James Christiansen, Yulia Grigorieva Guelaff, and three great-grandchildren, Haley and Megan Kartaltepe and Leland Dittmar, and several nieces and nephews and their children.

Graveside services will be on Friday, December 16, 2016 at 9:30 am at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, Texas.