Christian Edward Madsen passed away peacefully at the hospice facility where he resided in San Diego California at 3:20 AM, PST on July 8, 2018. He is survived by his two sons, Leif Edward Madsen of Brighton, Colorado and Craig Christian Madsen of San Diego, California; also five grandchildren (Robert, son of Craig & Jackie Madsen; Loreena, Erik, Liam & Glenna, children of Leif & Lauryn Madsen) and one great grandchild (Ryan, son of Craig’s son Robert). His wife, Betty Lois Peterson Madsen predeceased him in December of 2001.
Christian Madsen was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, the youngest of four children born to Anna and Jens “John” Madsen. As a young man he was referred to as ‘Eddie” using his middle name rather than first with his friends and relatives. At age 18 he enlisted in the US Army and served in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He was wounded in battle (awarded Purple Heart) and returned to the United States in 1944 where he recovered in military hospitals in the Southern United States before returning to Connecticut.
He received training to become an electrical engineer which remained his profession for the duration of his working life. He married Betty Lois Peterson on June 24, 1950 and raised his two sons in North Haven, Connecticut. He was a member of the Wallingford Zion Lutheran Church while living in his first house in North Haven on Scrub Oak Road (1950-67) and joined the North Haven Congregational Church when he and his family moved closer to the center of town to Manomet Avenue (1967-92). He retired from the State of Connecticut public works division in 1989 and, in 1992, relocated to a retirement community in Thomasville, North Carolina.
Chris and Betty had a chance to enjoy some world travel in the early phase of their retirement, visiting Scandinavia, the land of their roots, was a special highlight. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in the year 2000 in Colorado while visiting their son Leif who had relocated there along with their other son & extended family who all travelled in for the occasion. Chris’s wife Betty passed away in 2001 but Chris remained in the Thomasville community for another 10 years. In 2012, Chris relocated a final time to San Diego, California to be near his first-born son Craig and his family. In 2014 Chris celebrated his 90th birthday (the picture) with his sons, his grandchildren and other extended family who all travelled to California to honor him.
Christian Edward Madsen’s final resting place is in the Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego California. He will be buried with full military honors befitting a WWII veteran on July 24, 2018.
