Ernest Martin Christensen

Ernest Martin Christensen, age 88, passed away on July 30, 2021 at his home in Fort Myers, Florida. He was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts on August 14th, 1933, the son of Harry M. Christensen and Amy V. (Snow) Christensen. The youngest of four surviving children, he now rejoins his mother and father and two sisters, Amy E. Hutchings and her husband Glen, Marie F. MacArthur and her husband Bob, and brother Harry Christensen and his wife Audrey, with God.

Ernie grew up in Marblehead and always said there was no better place to grow up as a kid, than Marblehead. Ernie attended Elbridge Gerry Elementary school, Marblehead Junior High and graduated from Marblehead High School in 1951. He was affectionately nicknamed “Mouse” Christensen by classmates due to his slight stature. He shared many fond memories of growing up in Marblehead including working at the Elbridge Gerry House and having a paper route delivering the Salem Evening News. Normally delivered by bike, sometimes after work his dad would allow him to toss newspapers from the running board of their 1941 Plymouth.

In High School he worked at the local YMCA and later drove a taxi around town. Ernie was an active member of the Sea Scouts, and had fond memories of fishing and sailing around Marblehead, particularly with his Uncle Ernie. Family outings to Lake Winnipesaukee were some of his fondest memories as a young boy.

After graduation from Marblehead High School and seeing many of his classmates going off to college, he decided to find a career. Interested in photography he left town for New York City to attend the School of Modern Photography, graduating in 1952. While there, he worked at the YMCA and New School for Social Research, in administrative jobs to pay his way through school. He briefly operated his own photography studio in Marblehead, Portraits by Viggo, but with the Korea War on he joined the Air Force, in the family tradition to serve.

Ernest Christensen served in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict. After basic training at Sampson Air Force base in upstate New York, he was assigned to Jet Mechanic School in Amarillo Texas. After two years as a jet mechanic in Presque Isle, Maine, he was posted to the Photo Flight Squadron at Pepperill Air Force Base in St. John’s Newfoundland. Working as an aerial and still photographer he flew reconnaissance missions over the arctic from Iceland to Alaska to track Russian activities during the war and other photo assignments. One of his favorite photography assignments was a rescue mission to remove a Norwegian ship stuck in the ice. He undertook many missions on the Greenland Ice Cap. Discharged honorably in 1956 from active duty, he was active in the reserves until 1960. A Disabled American Veteran, Ernie was an active supporter of the American Legion. In 2016 Ernie was given an Honor Flight which he considered a great thrill and privilege.

After leaving the service, he attended Boston University, using the GI bill, and obtained degrees from the College of Basic Studies, and a BS from the School of Communication, finishing Magna Cum Laude (with Great Honors). He completed graduate work at Boston University and received a M.A. with Honors from New York University’s School of Education, with a desire to work in college administration. While at B.U. he met his first wife, Gail Sandra Bruno and they were married in May 1961 at Marsh Chapel in Boston University, presided over by the Rev. Harold Case, then the President of Boston University.

Mr. Christensen worked for many years in the field of Higher Education holding Professorial and Administrative positions: first at Boston University, then New York University and Ithaca College. He was the first Dean of Men at Ithaca College. Taking a one-year sabbatical, Ernie and Gail travelled around Europe living in a tent and driving a small compact Renault, which he considered a glorious time with many fond memories. His favorite city was Florence, where they lived for months. Returning to higher education he took a position as Associate Professor and Director of the University Center at the University of Manitoba, Canada, where his son Hans and daughter Kirsten where born. He led the building of their Student Union and was given the honor of escorting Prince Charles and Princess Ann on their official tour of the University in 1970. He served in similar positions at Columbia University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he was given the title of Full Professor and Director of both the Student Union and Student Faculty Association, where he presided over 100 staff. While in University Administration Ernie served as President of the College Directors Union, headed their annual conference, and served as a speaker and master of ceremonies on many occasions. Professor Christensen was the author of two books and was a frequent contributor to educational journals throughout his career in academia.

Desiring change and longing for a return to a tighter knit community like he grew up with in Marblehead, in 1975 he purchased a general store in Belfast, Maine, and renamed it “Over the Bridge,” as it was right over the Belfast bridge on Rte. 1. He added innovations to the store including selling roasted peanuts, homemade barrels of molasses and maple syrup, a summer fruit stand, and added a tourist information booth next door to drive in more business. He ran a secondary snowplow business during the winter. The Christensen’s were close friends with the Nelson family that owned Perry’s Nut House at that time, down the street.

Soon after, Ernie and Gail founded a real estate firm with the same name, where he served as Senior Broker for many years in Belfast. He loved sailing and boating on the Penobscot Bay and the family sailed to many Islands off the coast of Maine, for picnicking and camping. He liked to use his metal detector to sweep the beaches for hidden treasures.

After his divorce in April 1981, and briefly living in Whittier, CA he remarried to Maria Dolores Estrada and helped raise her 5 children, whom they affectionately called “Chris.” He returned to Belfast soon thereafter, bought a house near Swan Lake, and continued his work in Real Estate.

Active in civic affairs in Belfast: Ernie Christensen was a Rotarian for 20 years, served with the Red Cross and YMCA (Treasurer), and was active in Boy Scouts of America serving as their District Chairman. A past President of Midcoast Board of Realtors, he was honored as “Realtor of the Year,” in 1987 and served as President of the Belfast Improvement Group, served on the board of directors for the Belfast Bay Festival, and was Deacon of First Church in Belfast. Ernie served as a Notary and was proud to have married over ten couples. Brother Ernie was a Master Mason for 63 years, belonging to the Philanthropic Lodge F. & A.M. in Marblehead, in the Grand Lodge of Marblehead.

Ernie and Maria (Mary) moved to Florida in 1991 where he continued in real estate, finally retiring in 2002. He chose Fort Myers because it is the spring training site for his beloved Boston Red Sox, and right below the snow line. He held spring training season tickets for many years until age related disabilities prevented him from attending regularly. He has rarely missed a Red Sox or Patriots game on tv over the last 25 years. After Mary passed, and during his retirement, Ernie loved serving as a judge in national and state elections, leading a local polling station. And he was very active in the local Republican Party in Florida as he was in Maine. Well into his 80’s he could be seen regularly riding his three wheeled bike around North Fort Myers, stopping to talk with friends and neighbors, with one of his beloved little dogs in the cart behind him.

To say Ernie Christensen was an enthusiastic hobbyist would be an understatement. He loved sailing, fishing, boating, camping, reading history, building model ships and airplanes, collecting stamps, and freely admitted he couldn’t pass up a garage sale sign, in the hope to acquire unexpected treasures. In his later years, as mobility became more challenging, his boyhood passion for stamp collecting was revived and he spent many hours filling in his abundant stamp collection binders.

Yet, by far his most cherished activity was genealogy, exploring the family history he was so proud of. Ernest M. Christensen was descended from Stephen and Constance Hopkins, Mayflower Passengers. Constance Hopkins, his maternal great-grandmother was a girl of 15 when she accompanied her father Stephen on the famous passage across the Atlantic, landing in Plymouth in 1620. Constance married Nicholas Snow who arrived later aboard the ship Ann in 1623. Their son Captain Mark Snow married Jane, daughter of Plymouth Governor Thomas Pence. They had Thomas who married Lydia (Sears) and they had a son also named Thomas Snow. Thomas married Rachel (Nickerson) who had a son Samuel. Samuel Snow, who served as a Revolutionary War soldier, married Mary White, and they had a son named Samuel as well. Samuel Snow married Elizabeth (Hooper) and had son James H. Snow, who married Hannah Breed, and they had Horace Edwin Snow. Horace married Fannie Ellen Plummer, daughter of Civil war Sergeant Frank Plummer, and Isanah Ellen Goldthwait. Their daughter was Amy Viola Snow, Ernest’s mom, who married Harry Martin Christensen, son of Christian (Viggo) Christensen and Mathilda (Nilsdotter), and so the two families were joined. Viggo Christensen was the first of the Christensen’s to live in America having been born in Denmark, and Mathilda was born in Sweden. They emigrated to America from Denmark aboard the SS Norge which arrived at Ellis Island on April 3, 1893, where after they moved to Salem, and started their new life in America.

Ernie was devoted to researching and documenting family history, with numerous filing cabinets filled with his research from around the world, tracing family history back to England, Denmark and Sweden. As an active genealogist he belonged to the Society of Mayflower Descendants, The Pilgrim Society and the New England Genealogical Society. He published a number of articles on the Hopkins family and their many descendants, including in such publications as the esteemed American Genealogist. He loved sharing information on his research with family, friends and other genealogy enthusiasts and researchers all over the USA.

Ernest M. Christensen is survived by his two natural children, Hans Martin Christensen, his wife Catherine, and three grandchildren, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, and Soren; and his daughter Kirsten Amy Christensen and her son Cooper; and seven step-children and spouses, Anita Guaydacan, Jesus Adame, Richard Christensen, David Christensen, and wife Sonja, Margie Adame, Celso Christensen, and Daniel Christensen.

Visitation will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM at Dr Arland A Dirlam Chapel At Waterside Cemetery, 294 W Shore Drive, Marblehead followed by a Memorial Service to begin at 1:30 PM in the Chapel with burial to follow in the Snow Lot. In lieu of Flowers please consider a gift to the Boston University College of Basic Studies Scholarship Fund, C/O Boston University Development Office, Commonwealth Ave. Boston, MA. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.EustisandCornellFuneralHome.com for the Christensen family.