Susan S Christiansen

“Tudie”

Susan Lee Santistevan Christiansen, wife, sister, daughter, friend and aunt died the 17th of June 2016. Susan was born to Coach Bailey J. and Edith Mitchell Santistevan on October 22, 1941 in Copperton, Bingham Canyon, Utah and named “Suzie Q” by Coach Santistevan’s 1941 State Football Champions after their Suzie Q football play. Susan married Dr. James Wyman Christiansen on July 31, 1970.

She was employed at age 15 by the Salt Lake County Recreation and Parks Department to work on a summer playground. She was so taken with the idea of bringing “fun” into the lives of people that she remained in the recreation field for the next 40 years. Susan was a graduate of Jordan High School and the University of Utah where she majored in Therapeutic Recreation and minored in Spanish. She was a career employee of the Salt Lake County Recreation and Parks Department.

She was the co-founder and founding president of the National Kidney Foundation of Utah. She was the recipient of successful kidney transplants in 1983 and again in 1999 and an unsuccessful pancreas transplant in 1986. She insisted she would not have another transplant until Jane Fonda would donate her entire body.

Susan liked to think that her life had been similar to the life of Robert Lewis Stevenson, because he always said that his life had been spent either sick in bed or out having wonderful adventures. Susan lived 53 years with juvenile diabetes. She insisted that she cleaned her house only because she never knew when the paramedics would be dropping by.

One of her favorite adventures came in 1995, when she was inducted into the Utah Summer Games Hall of Honor. Susan was inducted for her lifetime contributions to recreation in Utah. She was honored by the University of Utah Department of Recreation and Leisure as the Outstanding Alumni in 1980 and received the Israel and Alma Heaton Award for Recreation Administration from Brigham Young University in 1994. She was a past president of the Utah Recreation and Parks Association, the Salt Lake Reviewers Club and PEO. Chapter D. She was also a member of Martha, Chapter 7, of the Order of the Eastern Star of Utah, the Salt Lake Ladies Literary Club and Delta Gamma.

Susan was a proponent of education for women and helped young women receive their degrees in Recreation at the University of Utah through the Susan S. Christiansen Endowed Scholarship.

Susan and her husband, Jim, were best friends. They loved sports, Black jack, travel and their poodles, but most of all just being together. Susan had a close and loving relationship with her sister, Nanette Noble, from whom she received a kidney in 1983. Susan’s favorite things included dogs, Halloween, guitars, a good joke, balloons, Blackjack, gourmet cooking, baseball, bridge, computers, children’s books, Diet Coke, genealogy, studying the lives of the American Presidents, embroidery, her 24 nieces and nephews and her wonderful physicians including Dr. Robert Bond, Dr. Jeff Barklow, Dr. James Chamberlain, Dr. Rodney Jex and Dr. Mario Swartz.

She is survived by her sister, Nanette Noble, Midvale; a nephew, Paul Noble, Gilbert Arizona: a niece and nephew Holly and Dane Santistevan, California and nineteen nieces and nephews on the Christiansen side of the family. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, brother, Bailey J. Santistevan, Jr., and two nephews, Ricky Santistevan and Bailey J Santistevan, III.

In Lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to:

Susan S. Christiansen Scholarship,

University of Utah, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism

250 South 1850 East, #202

Salt Lake City, Utah 84112